SIMA Identifed 100 Acre Plot For Organic Cotton Seed
The Southern India Mills Association – Cotton Development and Research Association (SIMA-CDRA) has identified a 100-acre plot in the State to produce organic cotton seed and fibre. Association chairman P.D. Damodaran told the association members at its annual general meeting here recently that with increased demand for organic cotton, the association had taken efforts to produce certified organic cotton seed. Staff were trained for this and the plot identified in Dharmapuri district. The association had also developed herbal tonic and foliar supplements for the purpose. The association mooted village cluster formation for precision farming and mechanisation of cotton farming to boost the performance level in the State. Tamil Nadu produced just 3.5 lakh bales of cotton while the annual demand of the mills here was 90 lakh bales. The units purchased the rest from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and even other countries. It was possible to increase the production here to 16 lakh to 23 lakh bales by identifying potential districts, rain-fed tracts, rice-fallow, inter-crop and waste lands. The association had initiated one village-one variety concept. This encouraged farmers in neighbouring villages to study the crop cultivation process in the model village and adopt the same practices.
The association had selected five farmers each in Konganapuram, Kumbakonam, Udumalpet, Villupuram and Rajapalayam centres for the production technology certificate course. In association with the Directorate of Open Learning and Distance Education of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, it offered six month courses to these farmers, he said.
