Call to introduce pest-resistant cotton seed

President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain has emphasized the need to introduce pest-resistant cotton seed which can withstand climate change and other problems otherwise all stakeholders will suffer as hundreds of ginning factories have already been closed due to low output.

He said cotton growers are shifting to other crops due to low productivity, reduced profit, climate change, sub-standard seed, pesticides and other factors which is a great threat to the country's agricultural and industrial base.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that cotton production was 15 million bales in 2013-14 which fell to ten million bales during the last year while the production in the current season is yet dismal.

He said the country can lose title of major cotton-producing country if cotton policy and sowing methods will not be changed. He said continued reduction in cotton output is hitting the largest export earner and job providing sector while the textile sector should not remain confined to the demand for duty-free cotton imports.

The textile sector should not wait for the government to take action and they should do something including R&D on their own so that the quality and quantity of cotton can be enhanced.