PRODUCTION OF COTTON
Cotton is natural fibre, derived from cotton plants. Cotton production begins with planting, usually in the spring, when cotton seeds are sown into well-prepared soil in warm climates. The seeds are typically planted using mechanical seeders in rows, ensuring proper spacing and depth for optimal growth. As the season progresses, the cotton plants develop into bushy shrubs and produce flowers. These flowers are initially white or yellow, then turn pink or red before falling off, leaving behind the developing seed pods called bolls.
Over the summer, the cotton bolls mature and swell. Inside each boll, fluffy white fibers grow around the seeds. When the bolls are fully ripe, usually by late summer or early autumn, they burst open, revealing the cotton lint. At this point, the cotton is ready to be harvested. In many countries, harvesting is done by large machines called cotton pickers or strippers, although hand-picking is still practiced in some regions.
Once harvested, the raw cotton—known as seed cotton—is transported to a cotton gin. The gin’s role is to separate the valuable cotton fibers (called lint) from the seeds. The lint is then cleaned to remove any remaining plant material and compressed into large bales, each typically weighing around 225 kilograms. These bales are tagged and sent to textile mills for further processing.
At the mill, the cotton undergoes carding, where fibers are brushed and aligned, then spun into yarn using mechanical or automated spinning systems. The yarn is then woven or knitted into fabric. Finally, the fabric is dyed, printed, and treated in various ways to achieve the desired texture, color, and finish.
This entire process—from planting to finished textile—is labor-intensive and requires careful management of water, soil, and pest control. In recent years, more sustainable and organic cotton farming methods have been developed to reduce the environmental impact and improve working conditions across the supply chain.