The Association is expected to play a vital role in augmenting cotton production, productivity and improving quality which is seen as the need of the hour for reviving predominantly cotton-based textile industry from the unforeseen crisis.
Coimbatore: SIMA Cotton Development and Research Association (SIMA CD & RA) established in the year 1974 by the Southern India Mills’ Association, the apex body that represents the whole textile value chain in South, has been playing a major role in the cotton development activities during the last five decades.
SIMA CD & RA has been producing genetically pure cotton seeds and supplying upto 600 metric tonnes of seeds directly to the farmers till the BT cotton was introduced. SIMA CD & RA is the only NGO which continues to produce non-GMO seeds and maintains around 700 cotton germplasm of precious and heritage cotton varieties. 13 cotton seeds including extra long staple cotton, high density planting cotton etc. have recently been licensed for commercial multiplication.
SIMA CD & RA has been partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and Departments of Agriculture in Southern States, especially with the Government of Tamil Nadu in various cotton development activities, including constantly upgrading the cotton farmers. SIMA CD & RA also has developed a battery-operated kapas plucker that reduces 70 percent of the cotton plucking cost apart from preventing the deterioration of cotton quality.
At the 47 th Annual General Meeting of SIMA CD & RA held on September 30, 2022 held at Coimbatore, G Venkataramachandran, Managing Director of Laven Technoblend Limited, Coimbatore, Dr. S K.Sundararaman, Managing Director of Shiva TexyarnLimited, Coimbatore and Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director, Pallava Textiles (P) Limited, Erode were elected as Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the new Chairman of SIMA CD & RA, G Venkataramachandran stated, "The Association would play a vital role in augmenting cotton production, productivity and improving quality which is the need of the hour for reviving predominantly cotton-based textile industry from the unforeseen crisis. The country has become a cotton deficit one from the status of surplus owing to the continuous fall in the crop size and productivity, apart from the deterioration in the cotton fibre quality parameters making the farmers and the industry to suffer."
The new SIMA CD & RA Chairman highly appreciated the initiatives taken by the Minister of Textiles, Piyush Goyal for constituting a Committee under the Chairmanship of Suresh A Kotak to address the issues relating to cotton seeds, quality, pest attack, agronomy practices, etc. Venkataramachandran stated that the SIMA CD & RA has been giving necessary inputs and taking active part through its parent body SIMA.
He also thanked the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin for allocating Rs. 7.24 crores for Sustainable Cotton Mission for the year 2022-23 and for indicating some funds for the promotion of ELS cotton and distribution of SIMA’s kapas plucker at a concessional rate to the cotton farmers in Tamil Nadu.
SIMA CD & RA has been producing genetically pure cotton seeds and supplying upto 600 metric tonnes of seeds directly to the farmers till the BT cotton was introduced. SIMA CD & RA is the only NGO which continues to produce non-GMO seeds and maintains around 700 cotton germplasm of precious and heritage cotton varieties. 13 cotton seeds including extra long staple cotton, high density planting cotton etc. have recently been licensed for commercial multiplication.
SIMA CD & RA has been partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and Departments of Agriculture in Southern States, especially with the Government of Tamil Nadu in various cotton development activities, including constantly upgrading the cotton farmers. SIMA CD & RA also has developed a battery-operated kapas plucker that reduces 70 percent of the cotton plucking cost apart from preventing the deterioration of cotton quality.
At the 47 th Annual General Meeting of SIMA CD & RA held on September 30, 2022 held at Coimbatore, G Venkataramachandran, Managing Director of Laven Technoblend Limited, Coimbatore, Dr. S K.Sundararaman, Managing Director of Shiva TexyarnLimited, Coimbatore and Durai Palanisamy, Executive Director, Pallava Textiles (P) Limited, Erode were elected as Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the new Chairman of SIMA CD & RA, G Venkataramachandran stated, "The Association would play a vital role in augmenting cotton production, productivity and improving quality which is the need of the hour for reviving predominantly cotton-based textile industry from the unforeseen crisis. The country has become a cotton deficit one from the status of surplus owing to the continuous fall in the crop size and productivity, apart from the deterioration in the cotton fibre quality parameters making the farmers and the industry to suffer."
The new SIMA CD & RA Chairman highly appreciated the initiatives taken by the Minister of Textiles, Piyush Goyal for constituting a Committee under the Chairmanship of Suresh A Kotak to address the issues relating to cotton seeds, quality, pest attack, agronomy practices, etc. Venkataramachandran stated that the SIMA CD & RA has been giving necessary inputs and taking active part through its parent body SIMA.
He also thanked the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin for allocating Rs. 7.24 crores for Sustainable Cotton Mission for the year 2022-23 and for indicating some funds for the promotion of ELS cotton and distribution of SIMA’s kapas plucker at a concessional rate to the cotton farmers in Tamil Nadu.