Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) today asked the Government of Gujarat to take necessary steps to curb the alleged adulteration practices followed by some ginners in the State, considering the interest of lakhs of cotton farmers, traders, spinners and also knitted garment manufacturers across the nation.

In a letter to Gujarat Water Supply, Agriculture, Co-operative Minister, Babhubhai B. Bokhiriya, SIMA Chairman, M. Senthilkumar said that the ginners in his State were mixing cotton waste (comber noil –waste extracted by spinning mills) with the virgin cotton for profit, which affected the image of Gujarat. This also maligned the sincere efforts put in by farmers, not only in the domestic, but also in the international markets.

Stating that the SIMA member mills were sourcing 60 to 70 lakh bales from Gujarat, he pointed out that these mills have now reduced the volume of purchase from the State by 40 to 50 per cent, and started sourcing cotton from other States and also contracted significant volumes for imports from countries like West Africa.

Though the imported cotton was expensive by Rs.1,000 per candy of 355 kgs, the high quality yarn manufacturing mills and exporting mills, which have been traditionally sourcing cotton from Gujarat were compelled to opt for imports, he said.

Gujarat, which produced about 120 lakh bales of cotton, could consume only 15 lakh bales at a maximum and remaining had to be consumed predominantly by the mills in Tamil Nadu and in other parts in the country, he pointed out.

Since the adulteration practice followed by a section of ginners had come as a rude shock to the spinners in the Southern States, the State Government had to take immediate steps to curb this, Senthilkumar said.