The Hindu Business Line : Uncertainty over cottonseed promotion irks processors

EVEN though oilseeds and cotton are two important commercial crops of the country with significant contribution in terms of employment, incomes and exports, indecision within the Ministry of Agriculture as to which technology mission should focus on promotion of cottonseed has continued to create uncertainty for processors.

Technology Mission on Oilseeds (established in 1986) and Technology Mission on Cotton (2000) are the two missions under the Agriculture Ministry with mandate to cut bureaucratic red tape and undertake promotional measures.

"While the debate is going on, we continue to lose cottonseed by-products worth Rs 1,500 crore every year. It is high time the uncertainty is removed," Mr Sandeep Bajoria, Chairman of the All-India Cotton Seed Crushers Association (AICOSCA), said. He was addressing the 44th annual general meeting of the association members here on Monday.

Lamenting that the `Eight-point proposal' for revival of scientific cottonseed processing submitted by the association to the Government in July 1999 had remained unimplemented, Mr Bajoria pointed out that the proposal envisaged making scientific processing economically viable, modernisation of processing machinery, encouragement to export of cottonseed derivatives, intensification of research and effective education campaign aimed at cattle feeders..