Achivements

1. Cotton Production
Cotton is the main raw materials of textile industry. Present annual requirement of raw cotton for local textile industry is estimated to be 2.5-3.0 million bales. Country’s present cotton production is around 80 thousand bales which can meet a small portion of the total annual requirement of local spinning mills. Area, production and yield of cotton during the last seven years are shown below-

Area & Production of Cotton During Crop Year 2002- 2003 to 2009-10

Cotton picking is going on

Hybrid Cotton Cultivation

CDB also take the initiatives for the introduction of hybrid cotton varieties in the country. But the poor research facilities within CDB doesn’t support in evolving hybrid varieties. In view of this CDB has interested to introduce hybrid cotton varieties in collaboration with the private sector (Seed companies) and other Research Institutions/Organizations. CDB has initiated to introduce and produce cotton hybrid seed through private seed company namely- Supreme Seed Company, LalTeer within its own capacity. Last couple of years CDB conducted trials and demonstrations on different hybrid varieties supplied by the Supreme Seed Company, Lalteer Seed Company at different locations of south western part of country where 60-70% cotton is growing.They conducted trials on 4 promising hybrids of these two companies.

Training

Progress of training programs for officers and field staff and contact farmers at CDB’s Research, Training and seed Multiplication Farms are given below. One-day training programs for the general farmers were conducted at unit level. CDB also organized field days and farmer’s rally as motivational program in two phases, namely: i) Pre-sowing period and ii) pre-harvesting period.

Training of Farmers, Offiers and Staff

*Farmers training going on.

Demonstration

Year wise progress of different types of demonstration is shown in the following table-

Yearwise Progress of Different Types of Demonstrations

Research

Cotton Development Board has been conducting research since 1991 and evolved technology packages for cotton production in Bangladesh. Some of the achievements and important technologies evolved by CDB are as follows:

1. Conduct research in the 5 research centre/ farms of CDB covering 24 ha area in 52 different titles under five discipline (viz. Breeding, Agronomy, Entomology, Pathology and Soil Science).
2. Conduct 22 on farm trial in different zones of CDB.
3. Ten varieties of Upland Cotton (G. hirsutum), namely CB-1, CB-2, CB-3, CB-4, CB-5, CB-6, CB-7, CB-8, CB-9, CB-10 and two varieties of Hill Cotton (G. utrients), namely HC-1, and HC-2;
4. Collection and preservation of 421 germplasms from local & different cotton growing countries.
5. Time and method of sowing and other cultural practices of cotton production;
6. Time, method and doses of fertilizer application;
7. Time, method and doses of foliar application of fertilizers containing nitrogen, potass and other micro utrients.
8. Identification of major insect pests of cotton, their nature of damage, ETL (Economic Threshold Level) and control measures;
9. Identification of major diseases of cotton, their extent of damage and management;
10. Profitable cotton based cropping pattern, inter-cropping and mixed-cropping system.

Seed Production & Distribution

Cotton Development Board distributed quality cotton seeds to the farmers at a very reasonable price. Seeds are distributed through the Unit offices of CDB by the supervision of CDB officers. CDB can distribute 50% of the total requirement every year and rest of the requirement is meet from the seed supplied by the private ginners, seed companies and farmer’s own seed. Breeder seeds and foundation seeds are produced in the seed multiplication farms and truthfully leveled seeds through contract farmers under the supervision of extension workers of CDB. Area and production of breeder, foundation and truthfully labeled seeds during last seven years is shown below-

Cotton Seed Production

* Cotton picking is going on

Marketing and Ginning
Cotton Development Board purchases seed cotton from the contact farmers for producing truthfully labeled seeds. If it becomes necessary CDB purchases some seed cotton from general farmers in order to help them in marketing seed cotton and ensure reasonable price. Year wise progress of seed cotton purchase and ginning during last seven years is shown below-

Purchase and Ginning of Seed Cotton

         * Cotton picking is going on

Government Price for Seed & Non- seed Cotton

Credit Distribution
CDB distributes supervised credit among the cotton farmers from its revolving fund. The credit is realized from the farmers with interest (as per rate of interest fixed by the Bangladesh Bank) at the time of purchase of seed cotton. Progress of supervised credit distribution and realization during last seven years are shown below-

Yearwise Credit Distribution

• Credit riealization just started through purchase of seed cotton

Besides, CDB has singed seperate memorendum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) for providing credit to the cotton farmers. Field staff of CDB assists cotton farmers in getting Bank loan.

Prospects of Cotton Production in Bangladesh

Problems of Cotton Production in Bangladesh