The Indian textiles ministry has postponed implementation of the Quality Control Order (QCO) on cotton bales for a year, following protests and stiff opposition from Indian cotton ginners.
Media reports stated that the implementation of QCO on cotton on cotton bales has been extended till August 27, 2024 by the textiles ministry.
The Indian government had approved the QCO for mandatory certification of cotton bales to increase and deliver good quality cotton in February 2023, and was supposed to come in effect from September 1, 2023.
Cotton ginners across India and also the Cotton Association of India (CAI) raised concerns over the requisition of stringent standards under the QCO, so India extended the implementation of QCO to November 27, 2023, last month.
Last week a cotton body from Vidharbha, which is a major cotton growing belt in India, had given a call for a boycott the tendering process of the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), over concerns on the QCO.
“Following the textiles ministry’s deferring the QCO, the association has however now, demanded a full revocation of QCO on cotton,” the media report stated.
Indian Textiles Ministry postpones implementation of QCO on Cotton
