Raw cotton, Moisture Content : <8%

Raw Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fibre that grows in a ball, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fibre is almost pure cellulose. Under natural condition, the cotton balls will tend to increase the dispersion of the seeds.
The fibre is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. The use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated from 5000 BC have been excavated in Mexico and the Indus Valley Civilization (modern day Pakistan). Although cultivated since antiquity, it was the invention of the cotton that so lowered the cost of production that led to its widespread use, and it is the most widely used natural fibre cloth in clothing today.
India has a tropical climate with different types of soils spread across. This ensures cultivation of cotton ranging between 12 mm to 36 mm in length. The different varieties of cotton are classified in three categories on the basis of the length of the fibre. The popular varieties are given below: