Visit of Hon’ble Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), New Delhi, Dr. Himanshu Pathak to GTC, ICAR-CIRCOT, Nagpur

Hon’ble Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), New Delhi, Dr. Himanshu Pathak along with Dr. Y. G. Prasad, Director, ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur and Dr. C. D. Mayee, Former Chairman, ASRB, New Delhi visited the Ginning Training Centre (GTC), ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Nagpur on January 20, 2025. 

Dr. K. Pandiyan, Sr. Scientist & Officer In-charge, GTC, warmly welcomed the Hon’ble Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR, New Delhi and other dignitaries. Dr. S.K. Shukla, Director, ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai briefed the institute's activities to the guests and demonstrated various technologies including Double Roller Gin, Rotary Knife Gin, Saw Gin, Particle board plant, biomass processing plant and facilities such as Fibre testing laboratory which are pertinent to cotton processing and value addition to its by-produce. 

After the visit, an industry interface meeting was held wherein stakeholders from different industries of cotton value chain have participated in the meeting. Shri Lav Bajaj, Director, Bajaj Steel Industries Ltd., Nagpur; Shri Bhavesh Shah, President, Vidarbha Cotton Association (VCA), Sh. Anil Chouk, M/s. Vidarbha Sales, Sh. Rahul Bharatwal, Cotton trader and other stakeholders were present. During the meet, various issues pertinent to cotton value chain such as high-density planting system to increase the productivity, direct benefit transfer to the farmers without the involvement of middleman, branding Kasturi Cotton Bharat for its promotion in the international market, requirement of technologies for mechanization of cotton harvesting and cleaning machinery for processing of mechanically harvested cotton were discussed. Also discussed about production of Biochar from cotton stalks using viable technologies and their application to improve the soil health properties. Dr. Pathak keenly listened to the problems faced by the stakeholders and urged to address the farmers’ demands through intervention of various technologies.

Director, ICAR-CIRCOT requested DG, ICAR for pursuing with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for providing facility for cleaning of mechanically harvested cotton under proposed second phase of Technology Mission on Cotton. Also, he asked DG, ICAR for providing fund for construction of Research cum Administration building at GTC, Nagpur.

During the visit, the Office Main Gate & Security Room of Ginning Training Centre (GTC), Nagpur and Biomass Torrefaction Pilot Plant, funded by Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru under Ministry of Power to process the agro-residues for production of torrefied pellet for co-firing with coal in Thermal Power Plants (TPP), were inaugurated at the hands of Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR, New Delhi.

on January 19, 2025, Dr. Pathak visited M/s. Shreekrishna Cotton Company, Saoner and witnessed the technologies developed by ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai such as Deep grooved roller and cotton seed dryer in collaboration with M/s. Bajaj Steel Industries Ltd., Nagpur. Dr. Pathak also interacted with farmers and industry’s personnel and received the feedback about the performance those technologies including high density planting system. He encouraged for implementation of those technologies in other industries as well for improved ginning performance and productivity.