PBIF chief for introducing pest-resistant cotton seed

Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) president 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 and pesticides and other factors which are a great threat to the country's agricultural and industrial base. Mian Zahid Hussain said cotton production was 15 million bales in 2013-14 which fell to 10 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 are not changed altogether. Cotton crop is failing to cope with the challenge of climate change, therefore, the government should intervene in it immediately while the textile sector should also step forward to save its future, 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.