cotton spinning technology has experienced very rapid fundamental development in recent years with the result that cotton specifications differ from what was previously needed. spinnability is a general concept which summarily describes all characteristics of a type of cotton with regard to the possibilities of transferring these properties into the yarn. present-day technology has radically changed the nature of this 'spinnability' factor. one of the aims pursued by the spinners' technical committee of the itmf is in fact to establish the parameters for the spinnability of cottons, together with all other significant parameters. there is a concerted effort to alert cotton growing interests, the distribution system and the selling system to these problems. for the past three years the committee has been visiting cotton growing countries, meeting agricultural experts, growers, research workers, gin operators and dealers. it brings together all these opinions with the firm aim of achieving suitable cotton quality in the near future