SIMA launches ELS organic cotton contract farming pilot project in Tamil Nadu Though India has become the largest producer of cotton in the world, the country faces acute shortage of Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton as the BT technology that was introduced during 2003, provided the technology only for long staple cotton.  The country consumes around 20 lakhs bales of ELS cotton while it produces only 4 to 5 lakhs bales in a year and imports around 15 lakh bales of such cotton.  The Government of India has been encouraging promotion of ELS cotton and is in the process of announcing a scheme shortly.  The Government has also been encouraging the production of organic cotton not only to protect the soil health and environment, but also to meet the growing demand of domestic and international markets.  Organic cotton textiles and clothing products command good premium in the market.  As the organic certification agency and APIDA have tightened the norms for organic cotton cultivation, the industry is facing acute shortage of organic cotton.

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