Date:22/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/05/22/stories/2007052201692100.htm

Back SICA, SIMA offer help to Karnataka body

Our Bureau

Coimbatore May 21 Coimbatore-based cotton trade/R&D bodies South India Cotton Association (SICA) and SIMA-Cotton Development and Research Association (SIMA-CDRA) have offered to support the Hubli-based Karnataka Cotton Association in its efforts to improve the development of cotton crop in Karnataka through a vision document.

This offer was conveyed to representatives of the Karnataka Cotton Association and the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce who had a meeting with SICA, SIMA-CDRA and members of the apex spinners body, Southern India Mills Association (SIMA) on May 14, according to SICA sources.

The members of the Karnataka cotton bodies were here to rope in the support and presence of the members of Coimbatore-based textile industry, as end-users of cotton, in the forthcoming special cotton meet being convened by the Government's Directorate of Cotton Development sometime during the second week of next month in Dharwad.

The directorate's involvement in promoting Karnataka cotton crop has come at a time when the State's cotton crop has been declining over the last 10 years.

Karnataka's cotton output slipped from 15 lakh bales in 1996 to six lakh bales in 2006.

The Tamil Nadu textile industry's interest in Karnataka crop largely rests on the latter's extra long staple DCH-32 variety, much in demand among the spinners here producing finer count yarn.