World Cotton Day Celebrated at Ginning Training Centre, ICAR-CIRCOT, Nagpur

The Ginning Training Centre (GTC), ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Nagpur, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry – Cotton Development and Research Association (CITI-CDRA), Mumbai, celebrated World Cotton Day on 7th October 2025 at GTC, Nagpur. The event aimed to promote awareness about the significance of cotton as a global natural fibre and to encourage technological innovations for improving productivity and fibre quality. The function was graced by Dr. A. L. Waghmare, Director, Directorate of Cotton Development, Nagpur, as Chief Guest, Shri Ravindra Manohare, District Superintending Agriculture Officer, Nagpur; Shri Bhavesh Shah, President, Vidarbha Cotton Association; and Shri Ravindra G. Daftari, Daftari Agro-Biotech, Wardha, as Guests of Honour, Dr. Varsha Satankar, Officer In-charge and Sr. Scientist, GTC, Nagpur, Shri G.H. Wairale, Coordinator, CITI-CDRA, Mumbai, and Dr. K. Pandiyan, Senior Scientist, GTC, Nahpur. Dr. Varsha Satankar, extended a warm welcome and presented an overview of the program. She highlighted cotton fibre quality, value addition to cotton by-products, and various initiatives under the Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC) aimed at enhancing productivity and supporting farmers. Shri G. H. Wairale, delivered the introductory address, emphasizing the importance of adopting the High Density Planting System (HDPS) for higher yields and profitability. He urged farmers for better marketing strategies to secure fair returns. Shri Ravindra Manohare encouraged farmers to become Smart Farmers by creating digital Farmer IDs and using AI-based mobile applications for crop-related information. Shri Bhavesh Shah stressed on HDPS adoption, enhancing lint percentage, and ensuring cotton traceability to boost India’s export potential. Shri Ravindra G. Daftari highlighted the use of improved and pest-resistant cotton varieties to increase yield and quality. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. A. L. Waghmare compared global and Indian cotton productivity and emphasized the need to improve yield, increase exports, and reduce imports through technological advancement and farmer education. In the technical session, Er. D. U. Patil spoke about the problem of contamination in cotton and shared practical solutions to minimize impurities during picking, handling, and ginning. Dr. S. V. Ghadge elaborated on the value addition to cotton by-products, highlighting how cotton stalks, instead of being burnt, can be chipped and sold to nearby industries for generating additional income to farmers. During the event progressive farmers were felicitate for their efforts in adopting innovative cultivation techniques and contributing to sustainable cotton production. The program was conducted by Dr. Shekh Mukhtar Mansuri, and ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri Jagdish Neralwar.