Ministry of Textile Industry has sought state protection and support price for cotton crop to arrest its continuing fall, as crop production came down from 14 million bales to 10 million bales during the last two years. The country is spending huge foreign exchange earnings on cotton import due to shortfall in cotton crop to meet local industry requirements, said Secretary Ministry of Textile Industry Hassan Iqbal while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee.
The committee met with Haji Akram Ansari in the chair, where serious reservations were expressed over decline in cotton production. The secretary Textile Ministry said that contrary to sugarcane and wheat, cotton crop has no state protection. In case of bumper cotton crop, there is no guarantee that the government would procure it and this situation is prompting reduction in cotton cultivation area, and hence this is negatively affecting its production. No legislation is required for this purpose and the cotton production can be improved only through administrative instruction.
The committee backed the ministry's request and directed for presenting a proper framework which would be discussed at the highest level. The committee further recommended for reducing input cost ie giving subsidy to increase cotton production.
The committee also recommended that the government should ban establishment of sugar mills in cotton growing areas so that the growth of cotton could not be affected. The committee further recommended that incentives should also be given to the cotton industry to develop interest of farmers in cotton growing to add huge revenue to the government exchequer.
The standing committee was briefly apprised of budgetary proposals relating to Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year 2017-18. The committee endorsed all the budgetary proposals of the ministry for the next financial year 2017-18.
The committee appreciated the efforts of the ministry for encouraging growth of cotton by use of modern techniques and methods, however, it recommended that awareness should be created among cotton growers and farmers through electronic and print media to assist increase in cotton growth in the country.
The ministry also arranged cotton exhibition where Cotton Commissioner Khalid Abdullah gave a detailed briefing to the parliamentarians. Abdullah said that 43 varieties of cotton seed have been developed and of which two have been approved in 2016 while three more would be approved in Sindh province during the current year. He further said that pink bollworm and whitefly are still major challenges hitting the cotton production.
However, the cotton commissioner maintained that some varieties like BT-CIM 602 and 598 resist pests' attacks and, hence, can produce 55-60 mound per acre. Only 1-2 percent pests are dangerous for crop while due to pesticide spray, good insects are also being killed, he added.
The meeting was attended by Sardar Muhammad Shafqat Hayat Khan, Rana Umer Nazir Khan, Malik Muhammad Uzair Khan, Mian Shahid Hussain Khan Bhatti, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Belum Hasnain, Malik Abdul Ghaffar Dogar, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Jamshaid Ahmed Dasti, Colonel Dr Amir Ullah Marwat (retd) and officials of the ministry.
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