internship report on cotton industry

8/12/2019 Internship Report on Cotton Industry

1/28

History of CottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seedsofcotton plants of thegenus Gossypium . The plant is ashrub native to tropical and subtropicalregions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, India, and Pakistan. The fiber mostoften is spun intoyarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathabletextile, which is the mostwidely used natural-fiber cloth in clothingtoday. The English namederives from the Arabic (al)qutn , which began to be used circa 1400. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid inseed dispersal. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed byAustralia and Africa.

Contents 1 History

o 1.1 Industrial revolution in Britaino 1.2 Tangis cotton 2 Cultivationo 2.1 Genetic modificationo 2.2 Organic production

3 Pests and weeds 4 Harvesting 5 Competition from synthetic fibers 6 Uses 7 International trade

o 7.1 Leading producer countrieso 7.2 Fair tradeo 7.3 Trade 8 Critical temperatures

9 British standard yarn measures 10 Fiber properties 11 Cotton genome 12 See also 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiberhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bollhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrubhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Industrial_revolution_in_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Tang.C3.BCis_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cultivationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Genetic_modificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Organic_productionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Pests_and_weedshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Harvestinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Competition_from_synthetic_fibershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Useshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#International_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Leading_producer_countrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Fair_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Critical_temperatureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#British_standard_yarn_measureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Fiber_propertieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cotton_genomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Further_readinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cotton_genomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Fiber_propertieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#British_standard_yarn_measureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Critical_temperatureshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Fair_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Leading_producer_countrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#International_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Useshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Competition_from_synthetic_fibershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Harvestinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Pests_and_weedshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Organic_productionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Genetic_modificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cultivationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Tang.C3.BCis_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Industrial_revolution_in_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrubhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bollhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber


2/28

History

Cotton plants as imagined and drawn byJohn Mandevillein the 14th century. Cotton fabricsdiscovered in a cave near Tehuacn, Mexicohave been dated to around 5800 B.C.E., although itis difficult to know for certain due to fibre decay. Cotton was first cultivated in theOld World7,000 years ago (5th 4th millennia BC), by the inhabitants of theIndus Valley Civilization, which covered a huge swath of the northwestern part of the South Asia, comprising today partsof easternPakistan and northwesternIndia. The Indus cotton industry was well developed andsome methods used in cotton spinning and fabrication continued to be used until the modernindustrialization ofIndia. Well before theCommon Era, the use of cotton textiles had spreadfrom India to the Mediterraneanand beyond.

Greeksand the Arabs were not familiar with cotton until the Wars of Alexander the Great, as hiscontemporaryMegasthenestold Seleucus I Nicatorof "there being trees on which wool grows"in "Indica".

According to the Columbia Encyclopedia , sixth edition:

Cotton has been spun, woven, and dyed since prehistoric times. It clothed the people of ancientPakistan, India, Egypt, and China. Hundreds of years before the Christian era, cotton textileswere woven in India with matchless skill, and their use spread to the Mediterranean countries.

In Iran (Persia), the history of cotton dates back to theAchaemenid era (5th century BC);however, there are few sources about the planting of cotton in pre-Islamic Iran. The planting ofcotton was common inMerv, Ray and Pars of Iran. In the poems ofPersian poets, especiallyFerdowsi's Shahname, there are references to cotton ("panbe" inPersian). Marco Polo (13thcentury) refers to the major products of Persia, including cotton. John Chardin, a French travelerof 17th century, who had visited the Safavid Persia, has approved the vast cotton farmsof Persia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mandevillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehuac%C3%A1nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterraneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greekshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_Alexander_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastheneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucus_I_Nicatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray,_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C4%81rs_Provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_poetryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdowsihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahnamehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chardinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandeville_cotton.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chardinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahnamehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdowsihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_poetryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C4%81rs_Provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray,_Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucus_I_Nicatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megastheneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_Alexander_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greekshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterraneanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehuac%C3%A1nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mandeville


3/28

During the Han dynasty, cotton was grown by non chinese peoples in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

In Peru, cultivation of the indigenous cotton species Gossypium barbadense was the backbone ofthe development of coastal cultures, such as the Norte Chico, Moche and Nazca. Cotton was

grown upriver, made into nets and traded with fishing villages along the coast for large suppliesof fish. The Spanish who came to Mexico and Peru in the early 16th century found the peoplegrowing cotton and wearing clothing made of it.

During the late medieval period, cotton became known as an importedfiber in northern Europe,without any knowledge of how it was derived, other than that it was a plant; noting itssimilarities to wool, people in the region could only imagine that cotton must be produced by plant-borne sheep. John Mandeville, writing in 1350, stated as fact the now-preposterous belief:"There grew there [India] a wonderful tree which bore tiny lambs on the endes of its branches.These branches were so pliable that they bent down to allow the lambs to feed when they arehungrie[ sic ]." (See Vegetable Lamb of Tartary.) This aspect is retained in the name for cotton in

many European languages, such as German Baumwolle , which translates as "tree wool" ( Baum means "tree"; Wolle means "wool"). By the end of the 16th century, cotton was cultivatedthroughout the warmer regions in Asia and the Americas.

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

India's cotton-processing sector gradually declined during British expansion in India and theestablishment of colonial ruleduring the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This was largely dueto aggressive colonialist mercantile policies of theBritish East India Company, which madecotton processing and manufacturing workshops in India uncompetitive. Indian markets wereincreasingly forced to supply only raw cotton and were forced, by British-imposed law, to purchase manufactured textiles from Britain.

Industrial revolution in Britain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_barbadensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_barbadensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_barbadensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norte_Chico_civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazcahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medievalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mandevillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rajhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_East_India_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vegetable_lamb_(Lee,_1887).jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_East_India_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rajhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_Lamb_of_Tartaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mandevillehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medievalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazcahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mochehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norte_Chico_civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_barbadensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty


4/28


5/28

Picking cotton in Georgia, United States, in 1943

During this time, cotton cultivation in the British Empire, especially India, greatly increased toreplace the lost production of the American South. Through tariffs and other restrictions, theBritish government discouraged the production of cotton cloth in India; rather, the raw fiber wassent to England for processing. The Indian Mahatma Gandhidescribed the process:

1. English people buy Indian cotton in the field, picked by Indian labor at seven cents a day,through an optional monopoly.2. This cotton is shipped on British ships, a three-week journey across the Indian Ocean,

down the Red Sea, across the Mediterranean, through Gibraltar, across the Bay of Biscayand the Atlantic Ocean to London. One hundred per cent profit on this freight is regardedas small.

3. The cotton is turned into cloth in Lancashire. You pay shilling wages instead of Indian pennies to your workers. The English worker not only has the advantage of better wages, but the steel companies of England get the profit of building the factories and machines.Wages; profits; all these are spent in England.

4. The finished product is sent back to India at European shipping rates, once again onBritish ships. The captains, officers, sailors of these ships, whose wages must be paid, areEnglish. The only Indians who profit are a few lascars who do the dirty work on the boatsfor a few cents a day.

5. The cloth is finally sold back to the kings and landlords of India who got the money to buy this expensive cloth out of the poor peasants of India who worked at seven cents aday. (Fisher 1932 pp 154 156)

In the United States, Southern cotton provided capital for the continuing development of the North. The cotton produced by enslaved African Americans not only helped the South, but alsoenriched Northern merchants. Much of the Southern cotton was transshipped through thenorthern ports.

Cotton remained a key crop in the Southern economy after emancipationand the end of the CivilWar in 1865. Across the South, sharecroppingevolved, in which free black farmers and landlesswhite farmers worked on white-owned cotton plantations of the wealthy in return for a share ofthe profits. Cotton plantations required vast labor forces to hand-pick cotton, and it was not untilthe 1950s that reliable harvesting machinery was introduced into the South (prior to this, cotton-harvesting machinery had been too clumsy to pick cotton without shredding the fibers). Duringthe early 20th century, employment in the cotton industry fell, as machines began to replace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhi,_Mohandas_K.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharecroppinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton1943_cropped.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharecroppinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhi,_Mohandas_K.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)


6/28

laborers, and the South's rural labor force dwindled during the First and Second World Wars.Today, cotton remains a major export of the southern United States, and a majority of the world'sannual cotton crop is of the long-staple American variety.

Tangis Cotton

Fermn Tangis poses with an example of the "Tangis Cotton"

In 1901, Peru's cotton industry suffered because of afungus plague caused by a plant diseaseknown as "cotton wilt" or, more correctly, "fusarium wilt", caused by the fungus Fusariumvasinfectum . The plant disease, which spread throughout Peru, entered plant's roots and workedits way up the stem until the plant was completely dried up.Fermn Tangis, a Puerto Ricanagriculturist who lived in Peru, studied some species of the plant that were affected by thedisease to a lesser extent and experimented ingermination with the seeds of various cotton plants. In 1911, after 10 years of experimenting and failures, Tangis was able to develop a seedwhich produced a superior cotton plant resistant to the disease. The seeds produced a plant thathad a 40% longer (between 29 mm and 33 mm) and thicker fiber that did not break easily andrequired little water. The Tangis cotton, as it became known, is the variety which is preferred by the Peruvian national textile industry. It constituted 75% of all the Peruvian cotton

production, both for domestic use and apparel exports. The Tangis cotton crop was estimated at225,000 bales that year.

Cultivation

Cotton plowingin Togo, 1928
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferm%C3%ADn_Tang%C3%BCishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_vasinfectumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_vasinfectumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_vasinfectumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferm%C3%ADn_Tang%C3%BCishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plowinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_137-029895,_Togo,_Pfl%C3%BCgen_eines_Baumwollfeldes.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FERMIN2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_137-029895,_Togo,_Pfl%C3%BCgen_eines_Baumwollfeldes.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FERMIN2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plowinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferm%C3%ADn_Tang%C3%BCishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_vasinfectumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_vasinfectumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferm%C3%ADn_Tang%C3%BCis


7/28

Harvested cotton in Tennessee(2006)

Cotton modules in Australia (2007)

Successful cultivation of cotton requires a longfrost-free period, plenty of sunshine, and amoderate rainfall, usually from 600 to 1200 mm (24 to 48 inches). Soils usually need to be fairlyheavy, although the level ofnutrients does not need to be exceptional. In general, theseconditions are met within the seasonally dry tropics and subtropics in the Northern and Southernhemispheres, but a large proportion of the cotton grown today is cultivated in areas with lessrainfall that obtain the water from irrigation. Production of the crop for a given year usuallystarts soon after harvesting the preceding autumn. Planting time in spring in the Northernhemisphere varies from the beginning of February to the beginning of June. The area of theUnited States known as the South Plainsis the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in theworld. While dryland (non-irrigated) cotton is successfully grown in this region, consistent yieldsare only produced with heavy reliance onirrigation water drawn from theOgallala Aquifer. Since cotton is somewhat salt and drought tolerant, this makes it an attractive crop for arid andsemiarid regions. As water resourcesget tighter around the world, economies that rely on it facedifficulties and conflict, as well as potential environmental problems. For example, impropercropping and irrigation practices have led to desertificationin areas of Uzbekistan, where cottonis a major export. In the days of theSoviet Union, the Aral Sea was tapped for agriculturalirrigation, largely of cotton, and now salinationis widespread.

Cotton can also be cultivated to have colors other than the yellowish off-white typical of moderncommercial cotton fibers. Naturally colored cottoncan come in red, green, and several shades of brown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennesseehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frosthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Plainshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquiferhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturally_colored_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_modules.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nutbush_tennessee_cotton.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_modules.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nutbush_tennessee_cotton.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturally_colored_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquiferhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Plainshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frosthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee


8/28

Genetic modification

Genetically modified(GM) cotton was developed to reduce the heavy reliance on pesticides. The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) naturally produces a chemical harmful only to a smallfraction of insects, most notably the larvae ofmoths and butterflies, beetles, and flies, and

harmless to other forms of life. The gene coding for Bt toxin has been inserted into cotton,causing cotton to produce this natural insecticide in its tissues. In many regions, the main pests incommercial cotton arelepidopteranlarvae, which are killed by the Bt protein in the transgeniccotton they eat. This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides tokill lepidopteran pests (some of which have developed pyrethroidresistance). This spares naturalinsect predators in the farm ecology and further contributes to noninsecticide pest management.

Bt cotton is ineffective against many cotton pests, however, such as plant bugs, stink bugs, andaphids; depending on circumstances it may still be desirable to use insecticides against these. A2006 study done by Cornell researchers, the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy and theChinese Academy of Science on Bt cotton farming in China found that after seven years these

secondary pests that were normally controlled by pesticide had increased, necessitating the use of pesticides at similar levels to non-Bt cotton and causing less profit for farmers because of theextra expense of GM seeds. However a more recent 2009 study by the Chinese Academy ofSciences, Stanford University and Rutgers University refutes this. They concluded that the GMcotton effectively controlled bollworm. The secondary pests were mostly miridae (plant bugs)whose increase was related to local temperature and rainfall and only continued to increase inhalf the villages studied. Moreover, the increase in insecticide use for the control of thesesecondary insects was far smaller than the reduction in total insecticide use due to Bt cottonadoption. TheInternational Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications(ISAAA)said that, worldwide, GM cotton was planted on an area of 16 million hectares in 2009. This was49% of the worldwide total area planted in cotton. The U.S. cotton crop was 93% GM in 2010

and the Chinese cotton crop was 68% GM in 2009.The initial introduction of GM cotton proved to be a huge success in Australia - the yields wereequivalent to the no transgenic varieties and the crop used much less pesticide to produce (85%reduction). The subsequent introduction of a second variety of GM cotton led to increases in GMcotton production until 95% of the Australian cotton crop was GM in 2009.

Cotton has also been genetically modified for resistance to glyphosate(marketed as Roundupin North America), an inexpensive and highly effective, but broad-spectrum herbicide. Originally,it was only possible to achieve glyphosate resistance when the plant was young, but with thedevelopment of Roundup Ready Flex, it is possible to achieve glyphosate resistance much later

in the growing season.GM cotton acreage in India continues to grow at a rapid rate, increasing from 50,000 hectares in2002 to 8.4 million hectares in 2009. The total cotton area in India was 9.6 million hectares (thelargest in the world or, about 35% of world cotton area), so GM cotton was grown on 87% of thecotton area in 2009. This makes India the country with the largest area of GM cotton in theworld, surpassing China (3.7 million hectares in 2009). The major reasons for this increase is a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modifiedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethroidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Service_for_the_Acquisition_of_Agri-biotech_Applicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Service_for_the_Acquisition_of_Agri-biotech_Applicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethroidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidopterahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified


9/28

combination of increased farm income ($225/ha) and a reduction in pesticide use to control thecotton bollworm.

Cotton has gossypol, a toxin that makes it inedible. However, scientists have silenced the genethat produces the toxin, making it a potential food crop.

Organic production

Organic cottonis generally understood as cotton, from plants notgenetically modified, that iscertified to be grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizersor pesticides. Its production also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles.United States cotton plantations are required to enforce the National Organic Program (NOP).This institution determines the allowed practices for pest control, growing, fertilizing, andhandling of organic crops. As of 2007, 265,517 bales of organic cotton were produced in 24countries, and worldwide production was growing at a rate of more than 50% per year.

Pests and weeds

Hoeing a cotton field to remove weeds, Greene County, Georgia, USA, 1941

Female and nymph Cotton Harlequin Bug. The cotton industry relies heavily on chemicals, such as herbicides, fertilizersand insecticides, although a very small number of farmers are moving toward an organicmodel of production, andorganic cotton products are now available for purchase at limited locations. These are popular for baby clothes and diapers. Under most definitions, organic products do not usegeneticengineering.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenic_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Georgiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Harlequin_Bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbicidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diapershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_Harlequin_Bugs.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greene_Co_Ga1941_Delano.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_Harlequin_Bugs.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greene_Co_Ga1941_Delano.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diapershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbicidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Harlequin_Bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Georgiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenic_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_cottonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypol


10/28

Historically, in North America, one of the most economically destructive pests in cotton production has been the boll weevil. Due to the US Department of Agriculture's highlysuccessful Boll Weevil Eradication Program(BWEP), this pest has been eliminated from cottonin most of the United States. This program, along with the introduction of genetically engineeredBt cotton (which contains a bacterialgene that codes for a plant-produced proteinthat is toxic to

a number of pests such ascotton bollwormand pink bollworm), has allowed a reduction in theuse of synthetic insecticides.

Other significant global pests of cotton include the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella ; thechili thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis ; the cotton seed bug,Oxycarenus hyalinipennis ; the tarnish plant bug, Lygus lineolaris ; and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda .

Harvesting

Offloading freshly harvested cotton into a module builder in Texas; previously built modules can be seen in the background

Cotton being picked by hand in India, 2005.

Most cotton in the United States, Europe, and Australia is harvested mechanically, either by acotton picker, a machine that removes the cotton from the boll without damaging the cotton

plant, or by a cotton stripper, which strips the entire boll off the plant. Cotton strippers are usedin regions where it is too windy to grow picker varieties of cotton, and usually after applicationof a chemical defoliantor the natural defoliation that occurs after a freeze. Cotton is a perennialcrop in the tropics, and without defoliation or freezing, the plant will continue to grow.

Cotton continues to be picked by hand in developing countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boll_weevilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Department_of_Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boll_Weevil_Eradication_Programhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proteinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_bollworm_(American)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_bollwormhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinophora_gossypiellahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinophora_gossypiellahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinophora_gossypiellahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scirtothrips_dorsalishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scirtothrips_dorsalishttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxycarenus_hyalinipennis&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxycarenus_hyalinipennis&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygus_lineolarishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygus_lineolarishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygus_lineolarishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_frugiperdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_frugiperdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_frugiperdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_pickerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defolianthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_picking_in_India.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_harvest.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_picking_in_India.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_harvest.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defolianthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_pickerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_frugiperdahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygus_lineolarishttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxycarenus_hyalinipennis&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scirtothrips_dorsalishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinophora_gossypiellahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_bollwormhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_bollworm_(American)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proteinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boll_Weevil_Eradication_Programhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Department_of_Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boll_weevil


11/28

Competition from synthetic fibers

The era of manufactured fibers began with the development ofrayon in France in the 1890s.Rayon is derived from a natural cellulose and cannot be considered synthetic, but requiresextensive processing in a manufacturing process, and led the less expensive replacement of morenaturally derived materials. A succession of new synthetic fibers were introduced by thechemicals industry in the following decades.Acetate in fiber form was developed in 1924. Nylon, the first fiber synthesized entirely from petrochemicals, was introduced as a sewingthread by DuPont in 1936, followed by DuPont'sacrylic in 1944. Some garments were createdfrom fabrics based on these fibers, such as women's hosieryfrom nylon, but it was not until theintroduction of polyesterinto the fiber marketplace in the early 1950s that the market for cottoncame under threat. The rapid uptake of polyester garments in the 1960s caused economichardship in cotton-exporting economies, especially in Central American countries, such as Nicaragua, where cotton production had boomed tenfold between 1950 and 1965 with the adventof cheap chemical pesticides. Cotton production recovered in the 1970s, but crashed to pre-1960levels in the early 1990s.

Beginning as a self-help program in the mid-1960s, the Cotton Research and Promotion Program(CRPP) was organized by U.S. cotton producers in response to cotton's steady decline in marketshare. At that time, producers voted to set up a per-bale assessment system to fund the program,with built-in safeguards to protect their investments. With the passage of the Cotton Researchand Promotion Act of 1966, the program joined forces and began battling synthetic competitorsand re-establishing markets for cotton. Today, the success of this program has made cotton the best-selling fiber in the U.S. and one of the best-selling fibers in the world.

Administered by theCotton Boardand conducted by Cotton Incorporated, the CRPP works togreatly increase the demand for and profitability of cotton through various research and promotion activities. It is funded by U.S. cotton producers and importers.

Uses

Cotton is used to make a number of textile products. These includeterrycloth for highlyabsorbent bath towels and robes; denim for blue jeans; chambray, popularly used in themanufacture of blue work shirts (from which we get the term"blue-collar"); and corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill. Socks, underwear, and most T-shirts are made from cotton. Bedsheets often are made from cotton. Cotton also is used to make yarn used in crochetand knitting. Fabric also can be made from recycled or recovered cotton that otherwise would be thrown awayduring the spinning, weaving, or cutting process. While many fabrics are made completely ofcotton, some materials blend cotton with other fibers, includingrayon and synthetic fiberssuchas polyester. It can either be used in knitted or woven fabrics, as it can be blended with elastineto make a stretchier thread for knitted fabrics, and apparel such as stretch jeans.

In addition to the textile industry, cotton is used in fishnets, coffee filters, tents, gunpowder(seenitrocellulose), cotton paper, and in bookbinding. The first Chinese paper was made of cottonfiber. Fire hoseswere once made of cotton.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_fiberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosieryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Boardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terryclothhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towelshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_jeanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-collarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corduroyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seersuckerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwearhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shirthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knittinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fiberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishnethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_filterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrocellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_paperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookbindinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papermakinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_hosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_hosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papermakinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookbindinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_paperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrocellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_filterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishnethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fiberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knittinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shirthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwearhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seersuckerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corduroyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-collarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_jeanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towelshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terryclothhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Boardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosieryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_fiberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon


12/28

The cottonseed which remains after the cotton is ginned is used to produce cottonseed oil, which,after refining, can be consumed by humans like any other vegetable oil. The cottonseed mealthatis left generally is fed toruminant livestock; thegossypol remaining in the meal is toxic tomonogastricanimals. Cottonseed hulls can be added to dairy cattle rations for roughage. Duringthe American slavery period, cotton root bark was used in folk remediesas an abortifacient, that

is, to induce a miscarriage.Cotton linters are fine, silky fibers which adhere to the seeds of the cotton plant after ginning.These curly fibers typically are less than 1/8 in (3 mm) long. The term also may apply to thelonger textile fiber staple lint as well as the shorter fuzzy fibers from some upland species.Linters are traditionally used in the manufacture of paper and as a raw material in themanufacture of cellulose. In the UK, linters are referred to as "cotton wool". This can also be arefined product (absorbent cotton in U.S. usage) which hasmedical, cosmeticand many other practical uses. The first medical use of cotton wool was byDr. Joseph Sampson Gamgeeat theQueen's Hospital (later the General Hospital) in Birmingham, England.

Shiny cotton is a processed version of the fiber that can be made into cloth resembling satin forshirts and suits. However, it is hydrophobic (does not absorb water easily), which makes it unfitfor use in bath and dish towels (although examples of these made from shiny cotton are seen).

The termEgyptian cotton refers to the extra long staple cotton grown in Egypt and favored forthe luxury and upmarket brands worldwide. During the U.S. Civil War, with heavy Europeaninvestments, Egyptian-grown cotton became a major alternate source for British textile mills.Egyptian cotton is more durable and softer than AmericanPima cotton , which is why it is moreexpensive. Pima cotton is American cotton that is grown in the southwestern states of the U.S.

International trade

Worldwide cotton production
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed_mealhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monogastrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_remedieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortifacienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmeticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampson_Gamgeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005cottonseed.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CottonYield.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005cottonseed.PNGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CottonYield.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampson_Gamgeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmeticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortifacienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_remedieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monogastrichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed_mealhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed_oil


13/28

Cottonseedoutput in 2005

The largest producers of cotton, currently (2009), are China and India, with annual production ofabout 34 million bales and 24 million bales, respectively; most of this production is consumed bytheir respective textile industries. The largest exporters of raw cotton are the United States, with

sales of $4.9 billion, and Africa, with sales of $2.1 billion. The total international trade isestimated to be $12 billion. Africa's share of the cotton trade has doubled since 1980. Neitherarea has a significant domestic textile industry, textile manufacturing having moved todeveloping nations in Eastern and South Asia such as India and China. In Africa, cotton is grown by numerous small holders. Dunavant Enterprises, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is the leadingcotton broker in Africa, with hundreds of purchasing agents. It operatescotton ginsin Uganda,Mozambique, and Zambia. In Zambia, it often offers loans for seed and expenses to the 180,000small farmers who grow cotton for it, as well as advice on farming methods.Cargill also purchases cotton in Africa for export.

The 25,000 cotton growers in the United States of America are heavilysubsidizedat the rate of

$2 billion per year. The future of these subsidies is uncertain and has led to anticipatoryexpansion of cotton brokers' operations in Africa. Dunavant expanded in Africa by buying outlocal operations. This is only possible in former British colonies and Mozambique; formerFrench colonies continue to maintain tight monopolies, inherited from their former colonialistmasters, on cotton purchases at low fixed prices.

Leading producer countries

Top ten cotton producers 2013(480-pound bales)

People's Republic of China33.0 million bales

India 27.0 million balesUnited States 18.0 million balesPakistan 10.3 million balesBrazil 9.3 million balesUzbekistan 4.6 million balesAustralia 4.2 million balesTurkey 2.8 million balesTurkmenistan 1.6 million balesGreece 1.4 million bales

The five leadingexportersof cotton in 2011 are (1) the United States, (2) India, (3)Brazil, (4)Australia, and (5) Uzbekistan. The largest nonproducingimporters are Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Hong Kongand Japan.

In India, the states ofMaharashtra(26.63%),Gujarat (17.96%) and Andhra Pradesh(13.75%)and also Madhya Pradesh are the leading cotton producing states,[38] these states have a predominantly tropical wet and dry climate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Tennesseehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_ginhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Konghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Konghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greecehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkeyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_ginhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Tennesseehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed


14/28

In Pakistan, cotton is grown predominantly in the provinces ofPunjab and Sindh. The leadingcity in cotton production is the Punjabi city of Faisalabadwhich is also leading in textiles withinPakistan. The Punjab has a tropical wet and dry climate throughout the year therefore enhancingthe growth of cotton.

In the United States, the state ofTexas led in total production as of 2004, while the state ofCaliforniahad the highest yield per acre.

Fair trade

Cotton is an enormously important commodity throughout the world. However, many farmers indeveloping countries receive a low price for their produce, or find it difficult to compete withdeveloped countries.

This has led to an international dispute (see United States Brazil cotton dispute):

On 27 September 2002, Brazil requested consultations with the US regarding prohibited andactionable subsidies provided to US producers, users and/or exporters of upland cotton, as wellas legislation, regulations, statutory instruments and amendments thereto providing suchsubsidies (including export credits), grants, and any other assistance to the US producers, usersand exporters of upland cotton. On 8 September 2004, the Panel Report recommended that theUnited States "withdraw" export credit guarantees and payments to domestic users and exporters,and "take appropriate steps to remove the adverse effects or withdraw" the mandatory price-contingent subsidy measures.

In addition to concerns over subsidies, the cotton industries of some countries are criticized foremploying child labor and damaging workers' health by exposure to pesticides used in

production. TheEnvironmental Justice Foundationhas campaigned against the prevalent use offorced child and adult labor in cotton production in Uzbekistan, the world's third largest cottonexporter. The international production and trade situation has led to "fair trade" cotton clothingand footwear, joining a rapidly growing market for organic clothing, fair fashion or "ethicalfashion". The fair trade system was initiated in 2005 with producers from Cameroon, Mali andSenegal.

Trade

Cotton is bought and sold by investors and price speculators as a tradable commodity on 2different stock exchanges in the United States of America .

Cotton futures contracts are traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX)under the ticker symbolTT . They are delivered every year in March, May, July, October,and December.

Cotton #2 futures contracts are traded on the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) underthe ticker symbolCT . They are delivered every year in March, May, July, October, andDecember.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisalabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_yieldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%E2%80%93_Brazil_cotton_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%E2%80%93_Brazil_cotton_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%E2%80%93_Brazil_cotton_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Justice_Foundationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_tradehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Justice_Foundationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%E2%80%93_Brazil_cotton_disputehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_yieldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisalabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Pakistan


15/28

Critical temperatures Favorable travel temperature range: below 25C (77F) Optimum travel temperature: 21C (70F) Glow temperature: 205C (401F) Fire point: 210C (410F) Autoignition temperature: 407C (765F) Autoignition temperature(for oily cotton): 120C (248F)

Cotton dries out, becomes hard and brittle and loses all elasticity at temperatures above 25C(77F). Extended exposure to light causes similar problems.

A temperature range of 25C (77F) to 35C (95F) is the optimal range for mold development.At temperatures below 0C (32F), rotting of wet cotton stops. Damaged cotton is sometimesstored at these temperatures to prevent further deterioration.

British standard yarn measures 1 thread = 55 inches (about 137 cm) 1 skein or rap = 80 threads (120 yards or about 109 m) 1 hank = 7 skeins (840 yards or about 768 m) 1 spindle = 18 hanks (15,120 yards or about 13.826 km)

Fiber properties

Property Evaluation

ShapeFairly uniform in width, 12-20 micrometers; length variesfrom 1 cm to 6 cm ( to 2 inches); typical length is2.2 cm to 3.3cm ( to 1 inches).

Luster High

Tenacity (strength)DryWet

3.0-5.0 g/d3.3-6.0 g/d

Resiliency Low

Density 1.54-1.56 g/cmMoisture absorptionraw: conditionedsaturationmercerized: conditionedsaturation

8.5%15-25%8.5-10.3%15-27%+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_pointhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_point


16/28

Dimensional stability Good

Resistance toacidsalkali

organic solventssunlightmicroorganismsinsects

damage, weaken fibersresistant; no harmful effects

high resistance to mostProlonged exposure weakens fibers.Mildew and rot-producing bacteria damage fibers.Silverfish damage fibers.

Thermal reactionsto heatto flame

Decomposes after prolonged exposure to temperatures of150C or over. Burns readily.

Cotton fibers viewed under a scanning electron microscope

The chemical composition of cotton is as follows:

cellulose91.00% water7.85% protoplasm, pectins0.55% waxes, fatty substances 0.40% mineral salts 0.20%

Cotton genome

The sectionCotton genome may be too technical for most readers to understand . Please

improvethis section to make it understandable to non-experts, without removing the technicaldetails.(January 2011)

A public genome sequencing effort of cotton was initiated in 2007 by a consortium of publicresearchers. They agreed on a strategy to sequence the genome of cultivated, tetraploid cotton."Tetraploid" means that cultivated cotton actually has two separate genomes within its nucleus,referred to as the A and D genomes. The sequencing consortium first agreed to sequence the D-genome relative of cultivated cotton (G. raimondii , a wild Central American cotton species)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_electron_microscopehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoplasmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waxeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cotton_genomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cotton_genomehttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/technical#Adjectivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cotton&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Make_technical_articles_understandablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C21a.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Make_technical_articles_understandablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cotton&action=edithttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/technical#Adjectivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton#Cotton_genomehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waxeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoplasmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_electron_microscope


17/28

because of its small size and limited number of repetitive elements. It is nearly one-third thenumber of bases of tetraploid cotton (AD), and each chromosome is only present once. The Agenome ofG. arboreum would be sequenced next. Its genome is roughly twice the size ofG.raimondii' s. Part of the difference in size between the two genomes is the amplification ofretrotransposons (GORGE). Once both diploid genomes are assembled, then research could

begin sequencing the actual genomes of cultivated cotton varieties. This strategy is out ofnecessity; if one were to sequence the tetraploid genome without model diploid genomes, theeuchromatic DNA sequences of the AD genomes would co-assemble and the repetitive elementsof AD genomes would assembly independently into A and D sequences respectively. Then therewould be no way to untangle the mess of AD sequences without comparing them to their diploidcounterparts.

The public sector effort continues with the goal to create a high-quality, draft genome sequencefrom reads generated by all sources. The public-sector effort has generated Sanger reads ofBACs, fosmids, and plasmids as well as 454 reads. These later types of reads will beinstrumental in assembling an initial draft of the D genome. In 2010, two companies(Monsanto

and Illumina), completed enough Illumina sequencing to cover the D genome ofG. raimondii about 50x. They announced that they would donate their raw reads to the public. This publicrelations effort gave them some recognition for sequencing the cotton genome. Once the Dgenome is assembled from all of this raw material, it will undoubtedly assist in the assembly ofthe AD genomes of cultivated varieties of cotton, but a lot of hard work remains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsantohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumina_(company)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumina_(company)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto


18/28

WHAT IS COTTON?

Cotton, belonging to a family that includes hibiscus and okra, produces a natural vegetable fiberused in the manufacture of cloth. Cotton produces sweet nectar that attracts a variety ofdestructive insect pests, including the boll weevil, bollworm, armyworm, and the red spider. Inaddition to insect pests, there is also a very destructive fungus, called the wilt that attacks theroot system of the cotton plant.

HISTORY OF COTTON GINNING

The cotton gin, invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, was designed to separate raw cotton fibersfrom seeds and other foreign materials prior to baling and marketing. The design was so efficientthat it remains virtually unchanged to the present day.

American Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin, a device that rapidly and effectively removes seedsfrom cotton fiber. This task had previously been done by hand, making fiber processing slow andexpensive. The invention will help spur expansion of the cotton industry in the southern UnitedStates. The Souths booming cotton economy in turn will increase the reliance on slaves,owing to the labor-intensive character of cotton harvesting.

Although the invention of the cotton gin changed history, its inventor, Eli Whitney, did not reapmuch of a profit. The gin made cotton cleaning so efficient that the crop became a primaryenterprise for the South. However, patent disputes and supply problems kept Whitney fromsuccessfully producing the cotton gin. His later venture into arms manufacturing was morefruitful, and Whitney became a strong promoter of mass production and interchangeable parts.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND OF COTTON GINNING IN PAKISTAN:

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the cotton Ginning Industry in Pakistan had adesolate look of misery due to the migration of Hindus and Sikh owners who had left Pakistannot only with the know-how but also with the most of the parts of the ginning machinery toIndia. The Pakistani took over the industry mostly by allotment as evacuee property and tried tooperate the factories with whatever machinery was available. This practice continued from 1947


19/28

to 1950. During this period the provincial government came out with Punjab and BahawlapurCotton Act 1947 and tried to regulate working condition of ginning factories through CottonInspectors.

In 1960, the cotton ginning factories were transferred from the allotters to the new buyers of the

factories. The new owner of the factories braved the situation and with the best of their abilitiesand available resources, tried their best to increase the efficiency of ginning preparation andstandardization of lint quality-wise and grade wise in Pakistan. The ginning industry hasmushroomed in the cotton growing area of Pakistan without adequate regulations. Cotton controlact of Punjab and Sindh from the 40s era have been continuing without any significantamendments and there is a need to update most of the industry is in the hand of local traders whohave upgraded their enterprise from mandi commission agent operations or cotton intermediarytrading by installing saw gins.

There are few old ginning families in Sindh and Punjab whose next generation have continuedwith the industry. Ginning activity is more entrepreneurial trading than a processing activity,

since the ginner has to play with the market risks of lint and cotton seed prices. DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCT

Cotton is a major world fiber crop. It is grown under a very broad range of climates, soils andcultural practices. Prior to the introduction of man-made artificial fibers, it was only the rawmaterial from which human clothing and other necessary textiles were manufactured. Cotton isthe main cash crop and Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world. The largestcotton producing country is China followed by USA, India and Pakistan. However the currentdemand for cotton exceeds supply and Pakistan meet a part of its raw cotton requirement throughimports. It produced about 14 million bales of lint (PCGA report) and 780 kg of lint per hectare.Cotton provides raw material to 450 textile mills, 1221 ginning factories and 5000 oil mills.Approximately 65 per cent of Pakistan's annual export income comes from textile sector.Similarly other industries, such as pharmaceutical, soap, chemical and feed industries also relyon cotton by-products.

Besides this, cotton is an occupation of 1.5 million farming families and provides job to 50-54 per cent of labor force. Therefore cotton is known as the life blood of Pakistan economy. GINNING UNITS IN KHANEWAL

There are 156 Ginning units out of which 149 unit are currently operating in the Cotton Ginning

Cluster Khanewal.GINNING PRODUCTION PROCESS AT KHANEWAL

The cotton ginning is performed in Khanewal between September and March. Once harvested,seed cotton might be directly sold to the ginner, though it is generally going through one or twomiddlemens hands before it eventually reaches the ginnery gate. The brief production processflow of cotton ginning is as follows:


20/28

farmer/producer

cotton

cotton ginner

seed

oil presser

seed cake

seed oil

lint

spinner

yarn

COTTON GINNING PRODUCTION FLOW


21/28

RAW MATERIALS AVAILABILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

Raw cotton is the main raw material for the ginning industry. Rahim-Yar-Khan is at the top in production of cotton in Pakistan. Cotton is mainly raised in irrigates area on the alluvial plains ofthe Indus river, sowing being performed in March-April for the Sindh province and in May-June

for the Punjab where 80% of the total crop is planted. Harvesting is achieved from August toFebruary. Cotton Products

SpeciesA few species are grown commercially; these range from a small tree of Asia, to the commonAmerican Upland cotton, a low, multi branched shrubthat is grown as an annual. Another speciesincludes the long-fiberEgyptian and Sea Island cottons botanically derived from theEgyptianspecies brought to the United States about 1900. Sea Island cotton thrivesin the uniqueclimate of the Sea Islands, located off the southeasterncoast of the United States, and on the

islands of the West Indies such asBarbados. As with Egyptian cotton, the fiber is white andlustrous but itsfiber length is longer than that of any other type of cotton, which permitsthespinning of extremely fine yarns. Pima, originally called American-Egyptian cotton, is a hybridtype. It is the only variety of long-fiber cottonnow grown in commercially significant quantitiesin the United States,where it is cultivated under irrigation in the Southwest.

Foot Steps It is almost impossible to determine the original habitats of the variousspecies of cotton.Scientists have determined fiber and boll fragmentsfrom the Tehuacn Valley of Mexico to beabout 7000 years old. Theplant has certainly been grown and used in India for at least 5000yearsand probably for much longer. Cotton was used also by the ancientChinese, Egyptians, and

North and South Americans. It was one of the earliest crops grown by European settlers, having been planted at the Jamestown colony in 1607.Cotton was the most important crop in South before the American CivilWar (1861-1865). Slaves usually worked all day picking cotton fortheirmasters while overseers watched from their horses.

Role of cotton in PakistanPakistan is the fifth largest producer of cotton in the world, the thirdlargest exporter of rawcotton, the fourth largest consumer of cotton, andthe largest exporter of cotton yarn. 1.3 millionFarmers (out of a total of 5million) cultivate cotton over 3 million hectares, covering 15 per centof the cultivable area in the country. Cotton and cotton products contributeabout 10 per cent to

GDP and 55 per cent to the foreign exchangeearnings of the country. Taken as a whole, between30 and 40 per cent of the cotton ends up as domestic consumption of final products.Theremaining is exported as raw cotton, yarn, cloth, and garments.Cotton production supportsPakistans largest industrial sector, comprisingsome 400 textile mills, 7 million spindles, 27,000looms in the mill sector(including 15,000 shuttle less looms), over 250,000 looms in the non-millsector, 700 knitwear units, 4,000 garment units (with 200,000 sewingmachines), 650 dyeingand finishing units (with finishing capacity of 1,150million square meters per year), nearly 1,000ginneries, 300 oil expellers,and 15,000 to 20,000 indigenous, small scale oil expellers (kohl us).


22/28

It isby any measure Pakistans most important economic sector. Notsurprisingly, government policy has generally been used to maintain astable and often relatively low domestic price ofcotton, especially since

CottonProduction in Pakistan Almightly Allah blessedPakistan with extraordinary cotton crop in 2011-12. Despite offloods andsevere rains in Punjab and Sindh, the production remained as high as 13.3millionbales (170kg each), 5% more than the last assessment of 12.59 million balesbyCotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC). The high production ismainlyattributed to extraordinary high cotton prices during 2010-11, that becameasource of inspiration for high input usage, and better management of the crop.Naturefavored with low Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) disease and mealy bugincidence.Although floods took a toll of about 2-2.5 million bales but thecountry managed to

sustain a reasonably good cotton production. Deterioratedquality due to non-stop rainsduring boll opening stage of the cotton and highproduction affected the market badly.Farmers expecting last years high priceshave to face entirely different situation.

The last years productionremained a source for projecting next years crop volume andsome exaggeratedfigures are being quoted by different economic analytical forumswithout evaluatingthe picture holistically. A report published in April 2012, byGlobalAgriculture Information Network (GAIN), under Foreign Agriculture ServicesandUnited Agriculture Department of Agriculture projected Pakistanscottonproduction for the year 2012-13 as 10% increase in area and production.

Theauthor forecasted the Pakistans cotton cultivat ion on 3.3 million ha andproductionas 11million bales (480 lbs per bale) equivalent to 14.1 millionbales (170 kg). The reportalso stated that GOP has approved 11 biotech and 3non-biotech cotton varieties forgeneral cultivation in the country. The reportapparently is not based on any authenticsource or data. Such premature projectionsmay damage the cotton market, shakeinvestors confidence create bias estimatesof global cotton stocks. Ministry of TextileIndustry can not endorse suchreports.

Looking at the groundrealities, the Government of Punjab has approved 8 and not 11new biotech and 6(not 3) non biotech varieties. The biotech varieties approved are withMon 531gene for commercial cultivation in the province subjected tothecommercialization authentication from the National Bio-safety Committee.Theauthentication is still awaited.

Early sowing in Punjab,being the main cotton belt, has achieved 21% less than last year,whereas, inSindh sowing is 2% lagging behind the area sown in the same period in2011-12.The Indus River System Authority has already declared the water shortage by21%till the end of June 2012. The availability of certified seed of approvedcotton


23/28

varieties is not as much as last year. The prevalence of CLCV is uncertain and if weatherbecomes favorable toCLCV, the disease can outbreak and cause damage. Fertilizeravailability willremain satisfactory; however pesticides availability could become anissue as APTACmeeting has not been convened for more than 2 years due to shiftingthe subjectin different ministries after the devolution of ministry of Food Agriculture.Afterevaluating all factors, and not being pessimistic, achieving the last yearstargetseems a difficult task.

After the defunct FederalCommittee on Agriculture (FCA) of the devolved Ministry ofFood andAgriculture, the targets of any crop commodity are not officially fixed,ratherprovinces use their last years achievements as target of the next year.However,for cotton, Ministry of Textile Industry planning to constitute acommittee to fix targetsby consulting all provinces and relevant stakeholdersand continue the crop volumeestimation during the season so that an unbiased, authenticdata, based on relevant factsand realities could be publically available.

First BT Cotton Grown in Pakistan

Cotton is an important cash crop for Pakistan known as white gold. It accounts for 8.2percent of the value added in agriculture and about 3.2 percent to GDP; around twothirds of the countrys export earnings are from the cotton mad e-up and textiles whichadds over $2.5 billion to the national economy; while hundreds of ginning factories andtextile mills in the country heavily depends upon cotton. Life of millions of farmers isdependent on this crop, in addition to millions of people employed along the entire

cotton value chain, from weaving to textile and garment exports The area under thecultivation of cotton crops has been increased significantly in the last 30 years - around7.85 million acres in 2005-06 as compared to 7.2 million acres in 2002-03. Beside beingthe worlds fourth -largest cotton producer and the third largest exporter of raw cottonand a leading exporter of yarn in the world our yield per acres ranks 13th in the world;as a result Pakistan annually imports around 1.5-2.00 million bales of cotton to meetgrowing demand from local textile mills; therefore it has become vital for Pakistan toincrease its yield per acre.

If we look at the Pakistan scenario, two major types of pests are damaging our cottoncrops sucking and chewing; to certain extent it is easier to control sucking pest bystrong pesticides but is very challenging to control chewing pests - Bollworms known as

Sundies American, Army, Pink and Spotted - cause major devastations in the cottoncrop fields; as a result of this, overall both quality of lint and production of cotton havedeclined substantially. Moreover, recent disaster resulting from the cotton leaf curl virus(CLCV) spread in Punjab and Sind pushed our institutes like Pakistan Atomic EnergyCommission (PAEC), National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering(NIBGE) and Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) in Faisalabad, and


24/28

National center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB) at Punjab University Lahoreto cope with such problems; significant amount of financial resources and manpowerhave been committed by the Government of Pakistan for developing geneticallymodified (GM) local cotton varieties.

Farmers, who cultivated these Bt cotton varieties at heart of cotton growing regions inPunjab - Bahawalpur, Multan, Muzaffer Garh and Karor Pakka; observed and evaluatedindependently its resistance and susceptibility to different pests including factors like abiotic stress and yield than compared it with non Bt cotton varieties grown in the samelocations. A large number of farmers have visited these fields, and become aware of thebenefits of the locally developed BT cotton.

Today, all major cotton producing countries are benefiting from the cultivation of Bt Cotton. Inthe last season 54 percent of cotton crops grown in USA, 76 percent in China and 80 percent in

Australia were with single or double BT gene technology. India, the worlds third -largestcotton-grower has cultivated 1.36 million acres of BT cotton crops. It is expected that within

two years more than half the worlds cotton may be grown from genetically modified crops.

Crop reviews carried out by various independent sources illustrate that unrecorded sowing ofnew Bt cotton varieties also played its role in increasing cotton productivity, with unofficialestimates suggesting 3 to 5 percent of the area in Punjab and 10 to 15 percent of the area inSind may have been planted in transgenic cotton.

Problems Faced by Cotton Ginning IndustriesIn Pakistan(A case study)

Since ages cotton has been used to manufacture cloth. It is big business and has coursed the

economies and development of many nations through history. Pakistan has always been a

region that is rich in cotton and its products.

According to PCGA (Pakistan Cotton Ginners

Association) Pakistani cotton is one of the worlds

best products when in the field; but one of the

worst when it is sold to textile industry for cloth

production. The reason why this has happened is


25/28


26/28

are either imported when developed countries scrap them, or they are created as copies from

original designs both locally and in China. These machines are not only more energy

consuming and hence less efficient but are also more prone to breakdowns and need constant

expensive repair. Over 1,221 ginning units are installed with a capacity of more than one million

bales on a single shift basis and a total capacity of around 20 million bales on three shift basis

but much of it goes to waste due to lack of cotton production by farms and expensive rates of

imported low grade cotton in the market.

Adding misery to the situation is the seasonal functioning of the cotton ginning industry. The

cotton industries do not practice good storage practices all over the country. The lack of

warehousing leads to dust, cigarette filters and oily moisture being trapped in the cotton fiber.

This causes motes, neps and ill color of the lint produced which is then priced very low. Pakistan

needs to improve its cotton picking techniques as well since all its competitor countries in this

field are using machines and Pakistan is still relying on the cost and labor intensive hand

picking.

Apart from this, the middle man earns a lot in the whole lint production and marketing process.

There are some 12.683 million cotton bales according to Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association(PCGA) released consolidated statement of cotton arrivals, as on 15th March 2010 an increase

of 12.20 percent over the same period last year.

But even all this is not properly sold to the

textile mills. Brokers demand high rates of

commission and so hinder the sales of lint at

premium prices. Ginning factories had pressed

12.678171 million bales till 15th March 2010,out of which textile mills had purchased

11.565149 million bales and exporters had

picked up 0.795648 million bales Trading

Corporation of Pakistan that had purchased


27/28

0.180333 million bales during 20082009 season remained a spectator and did not enter cotton

market this year. Not to mention is the increase in unrecorded and smuggled products due the

overall rise of corruption in the country. In truth the corruption matter is so big that Pakistan is

ranked as the 34 th most corrupt nation in the world with a CPI score of 2.3.

Financial institutions also harbor a general

mistrust for the industrialists in ginning cadre.

Although State Bank of Pakistan formulates and

promotes policies to provide for financial aid to

the industry each year, the number of defaulters

and sick industries increases years after year. No

liaison is present among the ginners and lending

institutes and many industrialists are left without

proper finance to even purchase raw materials.

The inability of the countrys power grid and production facilities has left the ginning process

very expensive and load shedding policies constantly hinder smooth production, alongwith

increasing wastes since the ginning machines have to be sanitized before restarting the processafter a break.

Moreover, the lack of reforms for laborers

combined with too much involvement of banking

sector and defaulters outstanding interests results

in a general dislike for the industry as they are not

deemed ethical and religious by many industrialists.

Since the advent of the country there has been no

institutionalization (SMEDA) for the cotton ginning industry. No specialists are funded by the

Government to enhance and reinforce the cotton ginning process. The PCGA is just a


28/28

monitoring body that has started no effective work up till now that can claim an improvement

in the ginning process and has only shown statistical analysis and presented its suggestions.

To go one step further, India has taken the lead. It has mainly deployed the low capacity roller

gins in its ginning sector. But it has both new technology and skilled, institutionalized workers

who produce, manage and market the lint. They have enhanced their ginning capacity overall

so as they now are a major importer of cotton to produce lint and bails. These factors have lead

to India beating the United States in becoming the second largest ginning country after China

worldwide. Pakistan however has its own constraints and is as of yet on the 4 th place.

Now however trends are changing. With a

demand for amendment in the Cotton Control Act

1966 people hope for a bright future in the

ginning industry.

internship report on cotton industry

Documents