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  • What is the history of cotton production in Bangladesh?
  • Cotton production in Bangladesh has a glorious history for making the finest fabrics 'Muslin'. The country has favourable weather and soil conditions for cotton cultivation. Cotton (Gossypium sp.) is the second important cash crop in Bangladesh after Jute and is the main raw material for the Textile industry.
  • What are the favourable conditions for cotton production in Bangladesh?
  • Cotton (Gossypium sp.) production in Bangladesh benefits from favorable weather and soil conditions. It is the second important cash crop in the country and the main raw material for the Textile industry. The annual requirement of raw cotton for Bangladesh's Textile industry is estimated at 8.3 million bales.
  • What is Cotton Development Board?
  • The Cotton Development Board was established in Bangladesh in 1972 to transfer the cotton research division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and boost up cotton production in the country. Commercial cultivation was started from 1976-77 with medium staple length upland cotton varieties.
  • How is the national requirement of cotton fulfilled?
  • The local production in Bangladesh fulfills around 2-3% of the national requirement (nearly 0.17 million bales) from 44 thousand hectares of land. The remaining 97% requirement is fulfilled by importing raw cotton from india, USA, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and African countries.
  • How to increase the area under cotton cultivation?
  • To expand the area under cotton cultivation, areas such as river bank and char land, drought and saline prone areas, hill slopes and valley areas, and those under agro-forestry system and other cropping systems can be considered. Profitable cotton based cropping patterns and replacing tobacco cultivation are also viable options.
  • In which countries is cotton cultivated?
  • Cotton is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of more than seventy countries around the world, representing 2.5% of all cultivated land. The major producers of cotton are China, india, USA, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Australia, Greece, Brazil, and Mexico.