Project To Promote DNA Testing Of Cotton In India
Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal informed that a project will be initiated for development of cotton markers in order to promote DNA testing of cotton in the country.
Piyush Goyal said this while presiding over the seventh interactive meeting with the Textile Advisory Group (TAG) on Cotton, in Coimbatore to review progress of initiatives for cotton value chain.
The project will be done in collaboration with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI).
The project aims to develop genetic markers for precise discrimination of both inter-and intra-species cotton varieties, and to establish protocol for extraction of DNA from the various stages of textile production.
These stages begin from cotton fibre, yarn, gray fabrics, unbleached fabrics, bleached fabrics, printed fabrics, printed and dyed fabrics, etc.
Goyal added that India is hosting the 81st Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and requested industry and trade members to make it a success.
He also assessed progress of the project on Traceability, Certification and Branding of Kasturi brand cotton of which, TEXPROCIL is the implementing partner of the project.
The minister also assessed the progress of special project on cotton to enhance productivity and emphasised that increasing productivity of Indian cotton is the need of the hour.
