Naturally coloured cotton revival hit by funding woes

NEW DELHI: India’s naturally coloured cotton, which thrived commercially in the 1940s, is struggling to stage a comeback despite rising global demand for sustainable textiles and decades of government's efforts in research.

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The specialty crop is currently grown on just 200 acres across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, fetching ₹240 per kg, 50% more than regular cotton at Rs 160 per kg. However, farmers are hesitant to expand cultivation due to significantly lower yields.

“The productivity of light brown cotton is very low at 1.5-2 quintals per acre, compared to 6-7 quintals per acre for normal cotton. This discourages farmers from expanding the area under this crop,” Ashok Kumar, Principal Scientist at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), told PTI.

Annual production from these limited acres stands at merely 330 quintals, underscoring the challenge facing this specialty crop that could potentially transform India’s textile sustainability profile.

ICAR-CIRCOT is currently focusing on light brown coloured cotton.