AHMEDABAD: With input tax credit (ITC) refunds for most industries pending for some six months now, textile processing units have been hit hard, with most battling working capital crunch. Estimates by textile processing units indicate that ITC refunds to the tune of around Rs 100 crore are pending for units across Gujarat - mainly in the clusters in Ahmedabad, Surat, Jetpur and Rajkot. "Not a single ITC refund has been processed yet. This has led to major working capital crunch, especially for small and medium-scale units. With increase in raw material prices, our input costs have risen and it is difficult to sustain business operations," said Naresh Sharma, vice president, Ahmedabad Textile Processing Association. Industry experts claim that prices of raw materials widely used in textile processing, including colour and chemicals has gone up. "The prices of caustic soda or caustic lye has increased by 40%. Similarly, the prices of colouring chemicals have also gone up in domestic and international market. This is bound to hit textile processing units with input costs going up," said Shailesh Patwari, president, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI). Struggling under severe working capital crunch, many units are either seeking loans or cutting down heavily on profit margins. "Currently, our production costs have gone up. Against this, ITC refunds haven't been processed, causing major capital crunch. This is not just denting the profits but is also impacting production and in turn, hitting business," said Nitin Thakker, owner of a textile processing unit in Ahmedabad. Industry players claim the amount pending in the form of ITC is higher than their actual GST rates. Explaining this, Arvind Hirpara, a partner in a city-based textile processing unit, said, "We're paying an average of 11% tax into input processes including lignite, power, chemicals and other miscellaneous processes. However, the finished product is sold on 5% GST. Therefore, our input cost is higher than what we get on the sale of products and with no ITC, it is difficult to run business."
Source: The Times of India
Surat: Traders in the country's largest man-made fabric (MMF) wholesale market Surat on Monday welcomed the decision by the Commissioner of State Tax, Gujarat, for exempting all types of fabrics from generating e-way bill for the intra-city and intra-state movement. The state government has issued a notification under the Gujarat Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 exempting the textile fabric from generating the e-way bill for intra-city and intra-state movement. The rule will come into force from February 1. However, the intra-city and intra-state movement of yarn, which is the basic raw material for the powerloom sector, will have to generate e-way bill along with other 18 items described in the notification. Sources in the traders' community said that the decision of Gujarat government will go a long way in curbing the problems faced by the textile traders regarding the generation of e-way bill for the intra-city and intra-state movement of the textile fabrics. However, the traders will continue to demand the extension of the national e-way bill for another six months. "It is good news for the city's textile traders. Now, the fabric parcels moving out of the textile shops at Ring Road will not require e-way bill. However, the inter-state e-way bill is still required for the traders," said director of Laxmipati saris and textile leader, Sanjay Saraogi. Narandra Saboo, owner of Manbhari Prints said, "The decision was long awaited and the entire traders' community is happy. We now request the Central government to simplify the e-way bill process for the inter-state movement of the textile fabric."
Source: The Times of India
New Delhi: The incentives provided by the government have boosted shipments from the textile sector by 16 per cent and exports are expected to grow further as the global economy picks up in the coming months. The GST Council is also expected to review and eliminate embedded export taxes such as on electricity and petroleum, which could provide an important boost to India's manufacturing exports. However, there are no export superstars as the top 1 per cent of Indian firms account only for 38 per cent of exports, unlike in other countries where they account for a substantially greater share, the economic survey tabled in Parliament said on Monday. The top 1 per cent of Indian firms account for only 38 per cent of exports unlike in other countries where they account for a substantially greater share - 72 per cent in Brazil, 68 per cent in Germany, 67 per cent in Mexico and 55 per cent in the US. This was true for the top five or 10 per cent of the Indian companies, it said. However, the survey found that six states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Haryana - in that order account for 75 per cent of India's exports and it also found a strong correlation between export performance and states' standard of living. Apart from structural reforms such as the goods and services tax, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and measures to facilitate the ease of doing business, the government has initiated sector-specific reforms in steel, apparel, leather and power sectors to address specific challenges associated with each of these sectors.
Source: The Telegraph
Government must set the ball rolling on modified incentives for exports. Exporters say proper implementation, awareness-programmes essential. Export incentive packages announced by the government to support vulnerable sectors do have a positive impact on performance of some categories, the Economic Survey has highlighted. A case study of the ₹6,000-crore export package announced for the apparel sector by the government in June 2016 published in the Survey shows that the growth in clothing exports (manmade fibre) compared to other labour-intensive and manufacturing goods, which did not receive the incentives, was much higher.
Incentive packages
Exporters, however, point out that while incentive packages play a vital role in boosting export growth, proper implementation of the package was equally important to maximise gains. “The package, which included rebates on State levies (ROSL), started off well and was a big help in increasing exporters. But for the last five-six months, payments to exports are stuck as Customs has not received money from the Textiles Ministry. Such issues related to faulty implementation prevents schemes from delivering to their full potential,” said HKL Magu, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council. Moreover, small exporters need to be made aware of such packages as it is mostly the large exporters who benefit from them. “As part of the AEPC, we have started seminars at the cluster level to make small exporters aware of all the existing schemes,” he added. The largest component of the package for the apparel sector were ROSL to offset indirect taxes levied by the States (the VAT) that were embedded in exports. This ROSL was over and above the duty drawbacks and other incentives that were given to offset indirect taxes embedded in exports. After the package, the ROSL increased export incentives by between 2.8 per cent and 3.9 per cent. To demonstrate whether the package succeeded in increasing exports, the surveyors used the difference-in-difference approach, which allows the impact of the package to be isolated. “Essentially, the approach asks whether the gap between clothing and comparator group export growth increased after the package was introduced,” the Survey explained.
Key findings
The three main findings were that the package increased exports of readymade garments made of man-made fibres, the impact increased gradually over time with the cumulative impact of about 16 per cent by September 2017 and that it did not have a statistically positive impact on garments made of other fibres (silk, cotton, etc).
Source: Business Line
Budget 2018: The Rs 6,000 crore package for the apparel sector, implemented in November 2016, has helped exports of ready-made garments (RMGs) made of man-made fibres (MMFs) to increase by 16% over the comparable groups in less than a year, the economic survey said, adding that “the impact of the package increased over time and did not show any signs of attenuation.” Taking the “difference-in-difference” approach, which essentially tends to find the gap between the clothing and comparable group, it said, “the impact on MMF-RMGs increased gradually over time; by September 2017, the cumulative impact was about 16% over the comparable groups.” The survey, though, is silent on the number of jobs created since the time it was implemented. The government had targeted to create one crore additional jobs and investments of Rs 74,000 crore and extra exports of $30 billion (over and above the textile and garment exports of $40 billion in 2015-16) over a three-year-period. However, as reported earlier by FE, just 655 units have availed themselves of the benefit till recently and the number of beneficiaries stood at 1,55,564, according to labour ministry data. And not all are new employment. AEPC chairman Ashok G Rajani recently said that though the package helped them a lot and the government made some landmark announcements, but before the industry reaped the full benefits, incentives under the RoSL and the duty drawback schemes were cut under the GST regime. The cabinet approved the package in June 2016 to help the textiles and apparels sector grab the tremendous growth opportunity for exports and creating employment. Major components of the scheme included enhanced subsidy under Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme for concessional import of machinery, implementation of rebates on state levies (RoSL) for state levies which were not refunded through duty draw-back earlier. “Prior to the package, duty-drawbacks were between 7.5% – 9.8% for apparels. After the package, the RoSL increased export incentives by between 2.8-3.9%,” the survey said. Apart from these incentives, the government also introduced fixed-term employment for the industry to hire more in times of need to cater for the seasonal nature of order flows and committed to bear the entire 12% employer’s contribution to the employees provident fund for the first three years (against 8.33% earlier under a scheme). “This hit us hard. As such, we have been handicapped by the duty disadvantage against our competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam in biggest markets · the EU and the US,” Rajani told FE.
Source: The Financial Express
Kolkata: Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is looking to tap the women’s innerwear and athleisure (casual clothing for workout and daily wear) market under the Van Heusen brand name. The company, which forayed into the Rs. 7,000-crore men’s premium innerwear and athleisure market last year, plans to roll out products for women by July. According to Puneet Kumar Malik, COO, Innerwear Business, Aditya Birla Fashion, women’s innerwear market in the organised segment is estimated at Rs. 3,000 crore is growing at nearly 18 per cent on a year-on-year basis. “The women’s innerwear segment is still largely dominated by the unorganised market which is pegged at Rs. 12,000 crore. But the organised segment is growing and is expected to double to Rs. 6,000 crore by 2022,” Malik told BusinessLine . Women are increasingly becoming brand conscious and looking for innerwear that offers a ‘comfortable fit’ and supports western wear, he said. The mid-premium to premium segment (at a price point of Rs. 400-700 and upwards) typically accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the total women’s innerwear market. This segment is growing at around 22 per cent, while the economy segment (products priced at around Rs. 200-400) is growing at 13-14 per cent. The company will launch products aimed at all these verticals. The innerwear business, Malik said, has seen a ‘phenomenal growth’ since its launch last year. Athleisure garments like joggers, track pants, sweat shirts account for 30-40 per cent of its total sales, refusing to divulge sales turnover. “We hope to grab 10-11 per cent share of the total innerwear market by 2022,” he said.
Distribution footprint
Van Heusen’s innerwear and athleisure is currently available across 7,000 outlets, including 150 Van Heusen exclusive stores, 120 Planet Fashion stores and multi-brand outlets. The company currently has five exclusive innerwear and athleisure stores and plans to open 15-20 more taking the total store count to 20 by March 2018. It also plans to add another 50-60 exclusive stores in the next fiscal. These would be a mix of company-owned and franchisee model, he said. This apart, the company is also betting big on online sales. It currently accounts for about 5 per cent of its total sales but is likely to grow to 15 per cent in the next couple of years.
Source: Business Line
The Ambassador of India to Qatar, P Kumaran (centre), inaugurates Ultimate India Fest at Al Gharafa branch of Lulu Hypermarket, in the presence of Sheikh Hassan bin Khaled Al Thani (third right), Dr. R. Seetharaman (second left) Group CEO of Doha Bank, Mohamed Althaf (right), Director of Lulu Group and several other VIP guests from companies and Ministries yesterday. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
The Peninsula
DOHA: Lulu Group has launched the ‘Ultimate India’ Festival from yesterday to February 4. The festival was inaugurated by. P Kumaran, the Ambassador of India to Qatar, at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Gharafa, in the presence of Sheikh Hassan bin Khaled Al Thani, Dr. R. Seetharaman, Group CEO of Doha Bank, Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Group and a host of dignitaries from Ministry, Banks, retail/FMCG sectors including officials/staff from the Lulu chain and a large gathering of shoppers and well-wishers from different communities. The week-long festival is dedicated to the Indian culinary and food tradition and will showcase the whole new range of Indian food and cuisines, fresh vegetables and fruits, and exciting offers and promotions in Indian grocery products, sarees and many more product ranges. The festival will also highlight the diverse culture and the spirit that was handed down by generations through centuries, symbolizing one India. The inaugural ceremony has also featured a few traditional art-forms such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam etc., with a view to enrich the theme. As part of the festival, a promotion on Indian Silk and Ethnic Wear was opened by Ritu Kumaran, wife of the Indian Ambassador yesterday. A wide assortment of pure natural and synthetic silk from India including saris, readymade garments and dress material went on display and sale at discounted rates at all Lulu outlets across Qatar. Indian Silk is one of the major categories of India’s exports worldwide. Fair Exports India Pvt. Ltd. - an Export distribution Centre of Lulu Group - has been the winner of the ‘Best Exporter Award’ for Indian Silk Saris and Garments by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council since 1996 including current year.
Source: The Peninsula
New Delhi: Century Textiles and Industries on Monday reported a four-fold jump in its standalone net profit at Rs89.94 crore for the third quarter ended December 2017. It had posted a net profit of Rs17.16 crore in the October-December quarter a year ago, Century Textiles said in a BSE filing. Its total income during the quarter under review was at Rs2,086.57 crore, up 7.65%, as against Rs1,938.25 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. Century Textiles’ total expenses stood at Rs1,923.78 crore, up 1.04%, as against Rs1,903.90 crore. Its revenue from textile segment was at Rs385.17 crore as against Rs386.48 crore. While, revenue from cement was up 1.34% to Rs999.04 crore in the third quarter of 2017-18 as against Rs985.82 crore of the corresponding quarter a year ago.
Source : Live Mint
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1460.85 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
VSF |
2305.78 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
ASF |
2526.88 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Polyester POY |
1381.89 |
USD/Ton |
-1.13% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Nylon FDY |
3521.84 |
USD/Ton |
0.45% |
1/30/2018 |
|
40D Spandex |
5843.41 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Polyester DTY |
1642.47 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Nylon POY |
3292.84 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
2763.78 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Polyester FDY |
1666.16 |
USD/Ton |
-2.31% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Nylon DTY |
3735.04 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
5969.75 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
3000.67 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
2203.12 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
3016.46 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
3142.81 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2621.64 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
2353.16 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2542.67 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.47 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.90 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.26 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.70 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.75 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/30/2018 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.15793USD dtd. 30/1/2018). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
As per the latest study conducted by Future Market Insights (FMI), towards the end of 2027, the global textile staples market will reach a valuation of US$ 201,197.5 Mn, reflecting a moderate CAGR of 4.9%. The global market for textile staples, which is currently valued at over US$ 124,915 Mn is also projected to witness a steady rise in terms of value during the forecast period (2017-2027). Around 55,782 KT of textile staples is expected to be produced by 2017-end. It is estimated that the volume-wise growth of the global textile staples market will showcase 4.8% CAGR, with China and India making significant contributions to the market. The FMI’s report titled “Textile Staples Market Global Industry Analysis 2012 – 2016 and Opportunity Assessment, 2017 – 2027” has identified multiple factors influencing the global textile staple market throughout the ten years of the forecast period. In developed regions such as North America and Europe, manufacturers of textiles are shifting their focus from commodity goods to value added products. Therefore, manufacturing of generic textile products as compared to niche technical textile products is expected to slow down in the near future. In addition, the global market is anticipated to be majorly driven by growing application of technical textiles in large sectors such as construction and automotive. In emerging countries, rising disposable income is significantly boosting the market growth. The report has also assessed that both production and consumption of synthetic fibre will soar in near future. Further, the demand for special textile materials and products which are manufactured primarily for specific applications have gained considerable traction in recent years. Application of such textile is increasing exponentially in automobile industry owing to their superior quality and technical capabilities. Based on natural fibre textile staples, cotton is expected to account for the largest share of the market over the forecast period. The cotton segment is expected to create a total incremental opportunity of US$ 34,924.5 Mn between 2017 and 2027. Retailers are labelling their products as being environmentally friendly to gain a competitive advantage in the market. By synthetic fibre, around 26,051.8 KT of polyester textile staples is expected to be produced by the end of the assessment period. Currently, polyester is the most preferred type of synthetic fibre for textile staples. Towards the end of forecast period, application of textile staple in manufacturing apparels is projected to contribute nearly US$ 93,974.4 Mn. However, demand for textile staple from the automotive and construction sections will be robust in 2017 and beyond. Among region, the Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to emerge as the largest market for textile staple over the forecast period. Growth in sectors such as automotive & transportation coupled with increasing spending power is primarily favouring the market’s growth in the region. Meanwhile, North America will retain is second spot and account for a sizeable share of the market over 2027.
Source: Find Market Research
The Belt and Road Initiative represented a big boon for Chinese investors amid an overall slump in outbound Chinese merger and acquisition activity in 2017, according to a report released by Morning Whistle Group, a Shanghai-based trade group specializing in cross-border M&A. Chinese firms' M&A activity soared 47.4 percent in terms of transaction volume in countries and regions involved in the initiative, which contrasted with an overall 13.5 percent slide for Chinese investment in deals globally in 2017, the report showed. The trend echoed statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, which found that overall investment in regions taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative ebbed only 1.2 percent, against a steeper drop of 29.4 percent globally. The initiative, proposed in 2013, aims to revive the old Silk Road connecting Asia, Europe and Africa, by promoting trade, financial integration, infrastructure interconnectivity and people-to-people exchanges among the continents. The top 100 Chinese deals from 2014 to 2017 by transaction volume were secured by 38 State-owned enterprises and 62 private ones, with the biggest buyers coming from Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong province. The sectors that drew the most Chinese investors were technology, media and telecommunications (TMT), energy and healthcare. China Vanke Co Ltd's $11.6 billion acquisition of property developer Global Logistics Properties Ltd made it the most generous spender. In total, seven deals involved transaction volumes of more than $1 billion. Xiong Jianguo, an analyst at Morning Whistle, said Chinese companies have incorporated overseas investments as a solid and consistent part of their development strategies, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, for example, increasing its stake in Lazada Group last year, showcasing its long-term bet on Southeast Asia. He said he expects more countries and regions involved in the initiative to emerge as popular destinations for outbound deals, a list currently dominated by developed economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Singapore attracted 18 deals, the highest number of transactions taking place, followed by Israel's 14 and 10 in India. "Singapore's well-governed and global leading financial sector can provide much-needed financial resources to support infrastructure projects in ASEAN countries," according to Zhang Miao, a research fellow at the University of Malaya's Institute of China Studies. "The country's expertise in project design and planning, dispute settlement and logistics could also play an important role," she added. Looking forward, Morning Whistle's report highlighted companies in healthcare and manufacturing as most likely to be sought-after targets in 2018. In terms of the motivations behind outbound M&A activity, securing broader distribution channels and gaining market access are giving way to seeking out technological upgrades and capitalizing on premium foreign brands' established markets as key drivers, according to the report.
Source: China Daily.
Prosecutors in Taiwan have accused four men of involvement in shipping coal from North Korea to Vietnam last year, in violation of United Nations sanctions. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office said a man surnamed Chiang and his son chartered a ship via a Chinese intermediary to transport the coal in August or September 2017. The investigation, which involved around 70 officers, found Mr Chiang, his son and two other men had falsified navigation logs and switched off their vessel’s global positioning system to avoid detection before offloading the coal in waters near Vietnam. The four men, who are accused of forging documents and breaching laws on financing terrorism, have not been formally charged. Mr Chiang, who prosecutors said was linked to a company in the British Virgin Islands, has been hospitalised, local media reported. Police are seeking to detain his son while the two other men have been released on bail, prosecutors said. While Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, and therefore not subject to the same sanctions rules as member nations, Taiwan Premier Lai Ching-te in September last year approved a total ban of trade between Taiwan and North Korea as the international community implemented increasingly tough sanctions to crack down on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. Outside of Taiwanese entities previously trading oil, coal and gas with North Korea – another Taiwanese businessman was accused of selling oil to North Korea in December – there have been reports in recent years of Taiwanese-owned fishing vessels employing North Korean workers and Taiwan importing textiles from North Korea.
Source: Financial Time
Trying to balance demands from importers and domestic manufacturers, and keep a handle on supply and demand issues, Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue has repealed a 5 percent tax and a 4 percent customs duty on cotton imports. The government order, relevant to imports of raw and ginned cotton, is retroactive to Jan. 8 and should help curb costs for spinners that use imported material. But the country’s cotton growers are said to be unhappy about the move, according to local reports, after lobbying against the withdrawal of the import duties. A delegation of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association had met the prime minister to urge that the customs duty and sales tax on cotton imports stay in place. A Pakistani newspaper report said millers were planning to launch a protest campaign against the removal of the import duties. Pakistan has been importing long and extra-long staple cotton since 2001 as the country primarily produces short- to medium-staple length cotton. Cotton production is expected to be around 11.1 million bales during the current crop year of 2017-18 against the revised production target of 12.6 million bales. The government has been back and forth on the issue in an attempt to promote value-added production, while not hurting domestic growers. In January 2017, government had removed the customs and import duties, but the levies were restored after six months due to a forecast increase in cotton production. Ginners and farmers oppose duty-free cotton imports, saying that would result in reduced local market prices and hurt their interests. Trading in the cotton market came to a standstill at the beginning of the month because of the tug of war between textile bodies and ginners, according to reports. The Pakistan leather industry has also been lobbying for relief from what it sees as excessive import duties on raw materials. The Pakistan Tanners Association said additional regulatory duties on imported basic tanning chemicals and quarantine requirement imposed by the government are hampering the productivity of the leather sector, which ultimately affect the leather exports of the country.
Source : Journal Online
The Minimum Wage Board formed for Bangladesh’s cotton textile sector has finalised its recommendations, setting BDT 5,710 as gross monthly pay for the workers. At present, the minimum wage for the textile sector worker is BDT 3,302, which was set way back in 2011. A gazette notification was issued on January 24, 2018, in this connection seeking opinions and objections, if any, within 14 days of the notification. It further added that the Wage Board will scrutinise those objections and opinions and submit the recommendations to the Labour and Employment Ministry for finalisation. The proposal suggested that the minimum monthly wage for the workers of cotton textile mills will be classified into three categories – divisional, district and upazila levels. The proposal suggested BDT 3,600 as basic wage for all categories of workers, 70 per cent of it as house rent for factories located in divisional cities, 40 per cent as house rent at the district level and 35 per cent at the upazila level. A medical allowance of BDT 550 for all categories of workers has been suggested while BDT 500, BDT 400 and BDT 300 have been proposed as transport allowances at the divisional, district and upazila levels, respectively. A worker in the grade 10 living in divisional cities or at the district and upazila levels would get BDT 7,110, BDT 5,990 and BDT 5,710 in monthly wage, according to the draft proposal. A worker in the Grade 1 would get BDT 11,284, BDT 9,378 and BDT 8,977 with a basic pay of BDT 6,020 at the divisional, district and upazila levels, respectively. However, both the owners and workers’ representatives to the wage board said that the board made the recommendation ‘unanimously’ while some labour leaders said that the proposed amount was not acceptable.
Source: Apparel Resources,
Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., a provider of molecular technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics, has announced that it has joined hands with Cotton USA, a trademark of Cotton Council International (CCI), to showcase cotton traceability technology and ‘What’s New in Cotton’ at as part of the ‘Cotton Cares’ collection at global fashion events. The Cotton Cares Collection is designed to introduce designers, established labels, and the apparel industry to the process by which a brand can build a certified and traceable collection, eliminating questions about purity, authenticity, and ethical standards. It highlights Applied DNA’s ‘Traceability with SigNature T’ technology that provides cotton traceability from the farm, through the supply chain, to store shelves. Forensic level origination is also tracked based on blockchain-enabled systems developed to verify SigNature T tagged fibre, yarn, fabric, and finished goods. Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences said, “Being able to demonstrate that this tag, test and track technology is easily incorporated into the apparel manufacturing process is a good first step to engaging product designers. The SigNature T molecular tag is safe, and binds to cotton fibre in the first processing stage, at the gin. In the United States, SigNature T has been used to tag over 150 million lbs. of US grown cotton since 2014 and is an easy solution to adapt, resulting in 100 per cent product authenticity - a trait being demanded by more consumers around the globe. Brands and manufacturers now have a means to know exactly where their cotton comes from at any stage of the supply chain through SigNature T tagging, testing, and tracking.” By working with SigNature T technology, Cotton USA is brining advanced forensic, traceability technology to cotton, while delivering on comfort, quality and responsible sourcing to brands and retailers globally. (GK)
Source: Fibre2Fashion
COTTON plantings in southern NSW are tipped to be larger than the record crop already predicted for the region. Monsanto today released its first official cotton crop estimates, forecasting 90,102ha will be planted in the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Lachlan valleys. The Weekly Times revealed last October that Monsanto’s preliminary estimate was 89,320ha, more than double the 58,210ha planted the previous season in the southern regions. “The Murrumbidgee region planted 67,304 hectares of cotton, making it the biggest cotton growing region this season,” Monsanto Australia managing director Tony May said. “Cotton has proved itself as a high value crop and a great industry to be a part of.” Monsanto’s new figures also reveal 46 new cotton growers were registered in the Murrumbidgee, taking the total to 244. This is up fourfold in eight years when only 52 cotton growers were registered. The Lachlan Valley is tipped to grow 18,358ha, up 32 per cent on last season, while in the Murray Valley, Monsonto forecasts 4,440ha has been planted, up 33 per cent on the previous season. If these new estimates are realised when harvest starts later this year, the cotton crop in southern NSW will outstrip the rice crop. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences this month tipped this season’s rice crop to be 78,000ha.
Source: The Weekly Times
National Cotton Council following multiple issues that could affect crop protection products and farm efficiency. Cotton farmers are watching a number of issues that could affect crop protection product availability and farm efficiency. Dicamba, pollinators, pesticide reregistration, worker protection, glyphosate evaluation, endangered species and online pesticide labels are all issues that bear watching by farmers and consultants in coming months, according to a National Cotton Council spokesman. Don Parker, NCC manager for integrated pest management, offered an update on regulatory issues during the Crop Consultant’s Conference, the opening session for the 2018 Beltwide Cotton Conferences held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. He started with dicamba and a warning that product stewardship will be essential to maintain registration of the new formulations that are linked to auxin tolerant cotton varieties, labeled for use for the first time in 2017. The products have received both praise and criticism—praise for the exceptional control of hard-to-control and herbicide resistant weeds, criticism for crop damage from off-target movement and injury to sensitive plants.
Product misapplication was also reported in 2016.
“We have seen some improvement in 2017,” Parker says. “But EPA is not happy with the numbers, and it’s not just in the cotton belt but in the soybean belt as well. EPA is not happy with the publicity.” He adds that keeping the new dicamba formulations in the weed management tool box is not a sure thing. “If EPA sees the same thing (as they have in 2016 and 2017) we will not have it available for another year. Last year, we got a two-year registration, and I said then, ‘it’s yours to lose.’ We have to do a better job.” Parker was one of a half-dozen or more specialists, consultants and industry representatives who discussed dicamba issues during the two-day conference, underlining the turmoil surrounding the technology in some states, including new state and federal restrictions on application timing and training.
POLLINATOR ISSUES
Parker says the pollinator issue also “is not going away,” and that NCC continues to monitor pollinator issues that include evaluation of products important to the cotton industry. “We (NCC) are encouraged with state efforts to develop plans,” he says. “Volunteer programs offer opportunities for growers, consultants, beekeepers, ag aviators and others to be involved in the process at both the local and state levels. It’s a process that allows you to regulate yourself instead of having the EPA regulate with a one size fits all policy. NCC encourages these plans.” He says EPA will look at the state plans over the next few years and evaluate effectiveness. Parker has been trying to figure out how to put metrics together that focus on a volunteer program that could vary from state to state. He says EPA has begun to look more favorably on the potential for such volunteer programs. “We want to minimize attention and problems,” he says. The issue is important since EPA has been forced to move into pollinator risk assessments, including neonic assessments. Parker encourages growers, consultants and other cotton industry representatives to be aware of continued attacks on pesticides, especially neonicotinoids. He notes that recent risk assessment plans offered for public comment generated 400,000 comments. Other plans brought in 60, 000, 35,000, and 36,000 comments.
MANY DETRACTORS
“We know that a large campaign group is out there flooding comments that indicate products (important to cotton) endanger pollinators and the health system,” Parker says. He mentions an ecological risk assessment for aquatic species in 2017 that generated 340,000 public comments. “We are not sure how many of these are pro and how many are con,” he says, “but we can assume that most are against reregistration.” A revised benefit assessment for neonicotinoids for soybeans “looks more favorable than the previous assessment from the previous administration,” Parker says. The new assessment will “weigh benefits and risk. This has been released for public comment,” he adds, “and I encourage you to comment so EPA understands the benefit of neonics to cotton.” He says the earlier assessment may have “miscalculated and left out valuable papers.” The assessment also included risk factors for citrus and cotton bloom and identified citrus and cotton as high risk crops. He adds that FIFRA requires a risk benefits analysis. The process will include ecological risk assessments for several products to justify re-registering products. The assessment is out for public comment with a Feb. 20 deadline. Organophosphates are also under the gun, but Parker comments on a possible re-evaluation of a 2017 assessment of safety risk factors that “seems to indicate that EPA is rethinking its position and considering the possibility that regulations overstep the bounds of science from 2017 study.”
WORKER PROTECTION
Worker protection standards are also being reassessed, Parker says, and several components need to be revisited. That process is expected to begin in late 2018. Issues of concern include minimum age restrictions, designated representatives, and application exclusion zones. “A notice of proposed revisions will be open for public comment at that time.” Parker also notes that the “designated representative,” requirement makes little sense and should be addressed. He explains that the policy allows anyone who has a paper, signed by an employee, and names the bearer as a designated representative, the right to request all pesticide application records. “What does that have to do with worker protection? It doesn’t.” Parker says EPA has changed the preliminary draft risk assessment for glyphosate that shows the product is “not likely a carcinogen.” The new assessment will be released for comment. He says EPA has reviewed data that found no evidence of glyphosate being carcinogenic.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Parker says a near impossible situation exists with the Endangered Species Act and the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). “The policy of Endangered Species is to save the critters,” Parker explains. “FIFRA follows a risk/benefit policy based on science and data.” FIFRA conducts a number of risk assessments every year and reviews every 15 years. Endangered Species theory of save the critters, he says, is based on biological opinion. He says EPA has the difficult task of working with Fish and Wildlife and FIFRA for a final opinion and come up with policy that’s science-based. He says the conflict makes it hard for EPA to develop a consistent policy. “The system is still broken, and lawsuits continue,” he says. Several important cotton seed treatments are included in those lawsuits with. “Plaintiffs are asking the court to vacate some registrations.” Parker concluded with a question on the advisability of smart label and web-distributed pesticide labels, designed to offer the most up-to-date labels. “How confusing will that be in the long run?” He questioned the accessibility for producers without email accounts and the challenge to get users to go online and get a label. Parker says NCC continues to follow these and other regulatory issues and to work for the industry to keep products available and to alert producers and consultants to regulatory changes.
Source: Delta Farm Press
All eyes are on Washington as temporary spending measures and DACA hover at the top of our debates and news feeds, but one big task Congress has yet to tackle involves a long-stalled $81 billion disaster relief package that would benefit Texans rebuilding from Harvey, as well as aid victims of hurricanes Maria and Irma. Texas farmers demanding a cotton provision are one group that’s been delaying the bill. Kevin Diaz, Washington correspondent for Hearst Papers in Texas including the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio-Express News, says the relief package has been in the works since November. Diaz says a must-pass bill often receives odd add-ins, which is where cotton comes in. The unrelated farm bill provision would assure a subsidy to cotton farmers. Cotton is Texas’s biggest cash crop, with a majority of cotton grown out west in Lubbock and Midland areas. While some South Texas cotton farms were affected by the storms, it’s the West Texas farms that are pushing to add cotton to the bill. Gov. Greg Abbott supports the cotton provision, which makes sense, Diaz says, since Texas is the country’s leading cotton producer. “He has been pushing this in letters to lawmakers, one in particular, that lays out the dire need – or as he sees it, the dire need to help out the cotton industry in Texas, but makes no mention whatever of the storm or of any kind of emergency resulting from weather, at least hurricanes,” Diaz says. “It certainly had nothing to do with Hurricane Harvey.” Cotton farmers say it would keep their farms sustainable, but critics say the disaster relief fund isn’t the right place for the provision. “This is a major change in U.S. farm policy,” Diaz says. “Normally those kinds of significant subsidy-type changes are done in what’s called a farm bill, which comes up every 3 or 4 years, and it’s a multiyear bill and it sets farm policy for the next time.” But cotton farmers say they need to make planting decisions now and they can’t wait until later in the year. The contents of the bill involve a lot of other moving parts. From immigration to government funding, the effects of delay caused by the cotton provision could come at the expense of other vital legislation. “I don’t know if the cotton provision itself is going to block anything. It could. It’s not helping,” Diaz says. “And the fact that it’s becoming controversial in the Senate – as it wasn’t in the House – could make a difference. It could be dropped and then taken up later again in the farm bill that they do later in 2018. Or they could keep it in there because it is part of a piece of legislation that people on both sides of the aisle are very keen on getting done.”
Source: Texas Standard
Bangladesh Fashionology Summit is set to be held on February 12 at the International Convention Center, Bashundhara (ICCB) inside capital Dhaka. The first of its kind on garment technology, the day-long Summit will bring together the next generation of global fashion experts and Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers in a discussion upon the latest trends that have arisen inside a tech-driven fashion industry. The summit aims to familiarize Bangladeshi manufacturers with and encourage them to use the latest technology currently trending within the clothing industry. A total of 16 renowned speakers from 10 countries will be speaking in the event. “Today, technology has become a big part of everyone’s daily life,” said the CEO and founder of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) Mostafiz Uddin to the Dhaka Tribune. “Fashion and apparel industry are no exception to this. The global production and supply model that has been in existence for decades in the apparel industry has been replaced by fast fashion.” The objective of the summit is to make a bridge between the present and the future of the Bangladeshi apparel industry, said Mostafiz. “We are bringing the most inspiring and innovative thinkers from across the globe under one roof,” Mostafiz continued. “Our goal is to initiate the much needed conversations on technology, digitization and innovation inside the apparel industry.” In four seminars titled Factory of the Future, Virtual Reality and Digitization of Supply Chain, Fashion Tech and Sustainable Innovation and Mass Customization and on Demand Manufacturing, the speakers will share their experiences and knowledge to the Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers. The organizer of the event Bangladesh Apparel Exhange (BAE), a non-profitable organization to promote the RMG sector, is going to arrange the first ever Digital Tech Fashion Show during the event. The summit will also feature displays of some of the best technology based creative fashion designs. Chief among the speakers are Jonathan Zornow, inventor of Sewbo, a robot who sews garments, Pradeep David, General Manager of Universal Robots South Asia and a pioneer of Cobot concept, Vikas Raykar, an expert on Cognitive Fashion at IBM Watson, David Birnbaum, the Strategic Advisor to the World Bank, Sunil Shewakramani, the Executive Vice President of Li & Fung India Pvt Ltd, Muchaneta Kapfunde, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fashnerd, Michael T. Fralix, the President and CEO of [TC2], Frederic Gaillard, Vice President of Lectra, Ms. Danit Peleg, Founder and Creative Director of 3D Printed Fashion, Richard Oliver, CEO of Theunseen, Ram Sareen, Founder and CEO of Tukatech, Amanda Cosco, Founder of Electric Runway; Magnus Sundgren, Chief Technology Officer of Eton Systems; Sonia Bashir Kabir, Managing Director of Microsoft Bangladesh, Eva Van Der Brugge and Pim Kneepkens, Innovation Manager of Fashion for Good are also going to be present in the event.
Source: The Dhaka Tribune
