The Indian Cotton Federation is organizing a two-day conference on “Indian Cotton Scenario in the Current Context 2016-2017” on August 19 and 20 at Coimbatore as the Indian cotton sector needs a comprehensive study on challenges, requirements, and scope to increase production.

About 400 people, including cotton ginners, traders, textile industry representatives, and brokers are expected to participate at the conference. They will deliberate on cotton area, demand, supply and price situations, and sustainable management practices.

The two-day programme will have panel discussions for ginners, brokers, and spinners. Talks will be on cotton textile eco-system, global scenario, hedging, arbitration, challenges in cotton production, modern trends in spinning, and funding cotton purchase. The association members plan to submit their suggestions to the Union Textile Minister after the meeting

President of Indian Cotton Federation J. Thulasidharan said on Tuesday that action can be taken to increase productivity, control price volatility, ensure attractive prices to farmers, and streamline exports and imports only when all the stakeholders are consulted and a comprehensive study of the sector is done.

Vice-president of the association P. Nataraj added that the Central Government should come out with an export policy for cotton. Based on the estimates of the Cotton Advisory Board, the Government should take decisions on exports. In the current season, Pakistan had been a major importer of Indian cotton. Over 60 lakh bales were exported so far to different countries this year.