Which of the following is NOT a stage in textile production?

Cotton harvesting is classified as an agricultural process, not a stage in textile production. The textile production process involves several stages that transform raw materials into finished fabric. These stages include spinning, where fibers are twisted to create yarn; dyeing, where color is added to the yarn or fabric; and weaving or knitting, where these yarns are interlaced or looped together to form the final textile.

By contrast, cotton harvesting refers to the process of gathering cotton from the fields, which occurs prior to any textile processing activity. It is the initial step that provides the raw material needed for the subsequent production stages, but it does not itself involve transforming that raw material into fabric. Therefore, it is distinct from the other processes involved in creating textiles.