INDIAN CENTRAL COTTON COMMITTEE TWENTY -SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT 1948 5 9th Meeting of t he India n Central Cotton Committee. Shri Chw1.iJal B. :1\fehta, Shri T. Vijn.yaro.gahavncharya, Shri R. G · So.raiyn., (Vice-President), Sa.rde.r Datar Singh (Pre~nt), S hri Kalidas Sawhney (Secrehry) Shri Purshotnmdns Thakur<.los, ?tfr. D. N . :Mnhtn, Shri ShnnkerJal, Shri S e shu Iyer. TWENTY -SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT of the INDIAN CENTRAL COTTON COMMITTEE for the year ended . 31st AUGUST, 1948. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE General .. 1 CHAPTER II. ParUiion and lhe Colton Problem in India .. 6-9 CHAPTER III. Cotton Statistics 10-22 Indian Cotton Situation-1947-48 .. 10 Staple length oflndian cotton .• 15 Statistics of Stocks of cotton held in the country 17 Demand for various 'types of Indian cotton IS Indian mill consumption 18 Exports 19 Statistics of cotton pressed 19 -Unpressed (loose) cotton statistics 19 Statistics of cotton ginned 19 lmproveinent of cotton forecasts 20 Supply of monthly reports on Indian cotton to the International Cotton Advisory Committee • • 20 Scheme for crop estimating survey on cotton in the Central Provinces and Berar 20 ·Publications 22 CHAPTER IV. Research- 23-57 Cotton Technology 23 Fundamental Research Work on Cotton 26 Cotton Research in Provinces and States 38 Bombay.- (a) Broach Cotton Breeding Scheme .. 38 (b) Jalgaon Cotton Breeding Scheme .. 40 .(c) Scheme for. breeding wilt-resistant cottons in Surat area 41 (d) Scheme for improyement of Waga.d cotton at Viramgam, Jagudan and Bavla .. 42 (e) Scheme for improvement of Dbarwar-American cotton •• •• 43 ii PAGE East P.un;"ab.- Scheme for improvement of cott.on of south-eastern districts of the Punjab 44 Central Provinces and Berar.- Central Provinces and Berar Cotton Brooding Schomo 45 Ma&ra.s.- (a) Scheme for improvement of Mungari cot.ton in Madras Province 46 (b) Scheme for improvement of Cocanadas cotton in Madras Provinco 4 7 {c) Scheme for breeding Cambodia cotton in Ceded Districts in :\lad- ras Province 48 United Provinces.- Scheme for hybridisat.ion in arbor~um cottons 49 Assam.- Schemo for improvement of Hill Cotton in Assam 50 Hyderabad State.- (a) Gaorani Cot.ton Improvement Scheme 51 (b) Scheme for improvement of cotton in Parbhani district 52 (c) Scheme for improvement of Kumpta cotton 54 Baroda State.- Scheme for improvement of Mathia cotton at Amreli 54 Mysore State.- Scheme for breeding Sea Island and Egyptian cot.tons in ::\Iysore 55 Studies of Pests & Diseases ;- Scheme for investigation of Srr.allleaf diseases of cotton 56 Co-ordinated crop-weather scheme 56 OHAPTER V. E-l:tension W c1'k in Province8 an~ 8tate8 5S Bombay.- _( a) Jarila Seed Dist,ribution and Edcn.sion Scheme 5g (b) Revised Jayawant and Gada!:!," Xo. 1 Seed Distribution Ser.onw 5\-.l .(~) Scl}\ffic for cultivation of 10:?.7 A.L.F. cotton in Xawapur Talul·a 61 iii PAGE (d) Scheme for multiplication and distribution 01 'Vijay~.' cotton in Middlo Oujerai 62 (e) Scheme for multiplication and distributior:. of Kalyan (K 72-2) cotton in Ahmedaba(l Di.<>trict 63 (f) Hehemc for multiplication and distribution of 'Suyog' cotton in Sura.t trad {South of river Nerbudda) 6;{ Central Province.;; and Berw·.- Schema for Distribution and l\Iarkoting of Jari1a cotton in Central l'rovinccs and Berar 64 Madras.- (a) Schenw for maint.en;:t.nce of nucleus of pure seed of improved --;;urietic:s of cotton in l\iadras Province 65 (b) Scheme for multiplication and distribution of C. ll-2 cott.on in Coimbatore District of :\ladras Province 03 Baroc/(t State.- (a) Scheme for enmtion of pure \Vagad Zone in l\Ichsana District in Barmla State 66 (b) Scheme for distribution and multiplication of Vijaya cotton in Baroda State .. 66 (c) Scheme for distribution of Suyog cot.ton seod in :Xavsari District of Baroda State 67 1l1ysore ,':!'tate.- Scheme for mult.iplication and distribution of Selection G9 and ~LA.V. iu :\Iysoro 67 CHAPTER VI. Progress in the Introduct·ion of ImproiJed Varieties of Cotton 69-87 (i) Bombay Provineo 72 (ii) ~Iadras Province 75 (iit") CE'ntral Provinc{'t; and B(~rar 79 (-iv) Eu.st Punjab 80 (r) Unit(•d l'ro\~inces 81 (t'"i) Hydembad State 83 (vii) Baroda Stato 84 (viii) Rajpipla St-ate 85 (ix) Mysoro State 86 iv CHAPTER VII. PAGE Cot.ton Marketing, legislation and other protective meas-ures SS-92 (i) Cotton export policy 88 (ii) Exemption of cotton, cotton seed and cotton yam from tho Sales- ~ (iii) System- of Survey and Appeal of East India Cotton Association 88 (iv) Revision of the Indian Cotton Contract 89 (v) Cotton baling hoops 89 (vi) Fuel requirements of ginning and pressing factories 89 (vii) Dismantling of cotton ginning and pressing factories . • 90 {v-iii} R-egulated Cotton Markets 90 (ix) Agmarking 90 (x) Legislation to maintain the purity of cotton anJ other protective measures .• 90 (a) Cotton Transport Act •. 91 (b) Cotton Ginning and Pressing Factories Act 91 (c) Prevention of Introduction of Foreign Cotton Pests 91 (d) Cotton Control Act 92 APPENDICES I. Indian Cotton Cess (Amendment) Acts, 1947 & 1948 93-94 II. Members of the Inclian Central Cotton Committee 96 III. Sub-Committees •• 98 IV. Statement of receipts and paymnnts for the year ended 31st March, 1948, Balance Sheet as at 31st March, 1946 100-104 V. Stocks of Indian cotton on 31st January 1948, held by the mills and the trade in Madras Province 11 g VI. Indian raw cotton consumed in Indian mills 120 INDIAN CENTRAL COTTON COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT. CHAPTER I. GENERAL. THE Indian Central Cotton Committee was established by the Govern­ . ment of India in 1921, in pursuance of the recommendations of the Indian Cotton Committee of 1917-18, and this is its twenty-seventh Annual Report covering the period 1st September, 1947, to 31st August, 1948. At first, the Committee was purely a technical advisory body to Government .on matters connected with cotton. In 1923, however, it was incorporated under the Indian Cotton Cess Act and provided with separate funds to enable it to . undertake work for the improvement of the growing, marketing and manu­ facture of Indian cotton. These funds are derived from the levy of a cess Qn all cottons consumed in mills in India or exported from Indian ports. For the first three years after the passing of the Act, the cess was collected at the rate of annas four on every bale of Indian cotton consumed in Indian mills or exported and, thereafter, at the rate of annas two. Subsequently, as a result of the war and the consequent decline in exports, receipts from the cess dropped considerably and it became necessary for the Committee to fall back on its accumulated funds in order to finance its activities. The income of the Committee was further reduced by the partition of the country on 15th August, 1947. Dne to the constitution of Pakistan as an independent country, the cess on exports of cotton from Pakistan as also on cotton con­ sumed in Pakistan mills was lost to the Committee. This loss of income was made up to some extent by grants given by the Government of India from the Cotton Fund built up from the proceeds of the levy of an additional duty of one anna per lb. on all imports of raw cotton. However, it was felt essential that the Committee should be assured of a more regular income to enable it to carry out its future work and policy effectively. Accordingly by two successive amendments (Appendix I) of the Indian Cotton Cess Act in 1947 and 1948, the cess was made leviable on all cotton consumed in Indian mills or exported from India with effect from 15th August, 1947, and the rate of the cess was raised from two annas per bale to four annas per bale 2 from lOth September, 1948. The idea from the very beginning was that th& Indian Central Cotton Committee should form a common meeting ground for· all sections of the cotton industry with the Agricultural Departments of all the cotton growing provinces in India, at which the cotton problems of .the country would be discussed and· measures suggested for tackling them. It was realised from the outset that the cultivator's interests must be paramount in all matters considered and decided on by the Committee and that no permanent developments couid take place uuless they were in his interests. The first task of _the Committee was to arrange for a well-directed co­ . ordinated effort for the improvement of every aspect of cotton in India, il).­ cluding the improvement ·of the race of the plant by 'scientific plant breedin~. Grants were made to Departments of Agriculture in the various cotton ·growing Provinces and States for specific investigations on cotton, in which improvement of the variety was naturally given high priority. The policy in the main has been to supplement and not to supplant the work of the Provincial and State Departments of Agriculture, and though, as a matter ·of convenience, certain lines of demarcation have been laid down regarding the investigations which the Committee considers most appropriate for 'its gr~nts, assistance, as a general rule, is given in the directions where it is most needed. Under the Indian Cotton Cess Rules, members who are not ex-officio ·members, hold office for three years and one-third of their number retire each year in rotation. The term of office of additional members appointed by the Governor-General under Section 4 (x) of the Indian Cotton Cess Act is three years or such lesser period as may be specified in the notification appointing them.