PCCC restructuring proposals finalised

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) and provincial governments have finalised recommendations, to be presented to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Monday for restructuring the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee to deal with growing, research and development, marketing and manufacturing of cotton and its by-products in the country.
Minfal sources told Business Recorder that Additional Secretary Mohammad Saleem Khan presided over a meeting here on Sunday, which was attended by federal and provincial officials, and agriculture scientists and experts, to prepare briefing for presentation to the Prime Minister.
They said that the Prime Minister had called a meeting to discuss all issues, which are hindering significant increase in production of quality cotton and textile exports. The meeting will be attended by representatives of Minfal, Ministry of Industries, Commerce, Provincial Agriculture departments, All Pakistan Textile Mill-owners Association, Pakistan Ginners Association, cotton growers and other stakeholders.
The meeting is expected to sort out differences among various ministries and Aptma about the present role and the potential of PCCC, which is currently headed by the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
Sources said that Aptma, which collects cotton cess and later on transfers the amount to Minfal for research and development in cotton, wanted to head the 31-member PCCC with greater private sector participation, and this demand is also supported by some other federal ministries.
The Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) emerged as an incorporated institution on the national horizon in 1948 in place of Indian Central Cotton Committee after Independence when Pakistan''s cotton production was around 1.7 million bales, with the broad objective to concentrate its efforts on bringing improvement in cotton production through an extensive R&D program.
The PCCC is guided by five specialised subcommittees comprising members nominated by Minfal representing the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Finance, Industries, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Provincial Departments Agriculture, Agriculture Universities, Pakistan Atomic Energy Agriculture''s Research Centres, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), All Pakistan Textile mill Owner''s Association (Aptma) and growers from Punjab and Sindh.
In view of the economic importance of cotton crop, the PCCC established Central Cotton Research Institute in Multan under Minfal to carry out research and development work with a co-ordinated approach by various disciplines on various aspects of production of quality cotton.
THE INSTITUTE NOW HAS NINE DISCIPLINES TO:
-- study cotton plant from agronomic, botanical, genetic, physiological, chemical, entomological, pathological aspects to develop a cotton production technology in a co-ordinated approach.
-- conduct research on countrywide importance to handle the problems of inter- and intra-regional nature.
-- study cotton plant with respect to different ecological zones.
-- research on various yield-building processes.
-- identify the cotton production problems and their solution.
-- provide education and training, particularly of master trainers, in cotton production to ''extension specialists'', non-government organisations and farmers.
-- transfer cotton production technology to growers, in collaboration with Agriculture Extension Department and through electronic and print media.
-- provide training in cotton research and development to developing countries.