Setting up of new sugar mills: land area of cotton cultivation cut by 22 percent in 10 years

The increase in number of sugar mills with enhancement in crushing capacity of existing mills in major cotton growing areas has resulted into 22 per cent reduction in cotton areas of the country over the last 10 years.
The total land area of cotton cultivation reduced by 22 per cent in Pakistan over the last 10 years and this major reduction in cotton area is only contributed by Punjab province, which has reduced its area under cotton by 26 per cent over the same period, said a report titled 'Declining Trend of Cotton Cultivation, Causes and the Way Forward' prepared by Dr Khalid Abdullah, Cotton Commissioner of Ministry of Textile Industry.
It is pertinent to mention here that the country witnessed 30 per cent decline in cotton production during the year 2015-16 due to abnormal weather conditions, seed quality, pests, diseases and low prices. Cotton is grown mostly in Punjab and Sindh provinces, with the former accounting for 79 per cent and the latter 20 per cent of the nation's land area of cotton cultivation.
Dr Khalid Abdullah placed the report before the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research, which met here on Wednesday with Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in the chair.
The report said that growing number of sugar mills and increase in the crushing capacity in the existing sugar mills resulted in reduction of cotton area in Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh etc. The cotton production in Mianwali will also be affected by installation of new sugar mills in that area, it added.
It said that cotton area also has been squeezed due to popularisation of maize and potato in the districts of Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Khanewal. The report further said that lower cotton price and damage to cotton production due to heavy rains and floods have compelled cotton farmers to shift to other crops like rice, maize, sugarcane and potatoes.
According to the report, the country has witnessed 24 per cent increase in acreage of maize, seven per cent in rice and 14 per cent increase in sugarcane acreage over the last 10 years.
Abdullah in its report suggested that provinces may be asked to refrain from issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for installation of new sugar mills and increase in capacity of mills in the cotton growing areas. The trend of installation of sugar mills increased from 56 (1995 to 96) to 82 (2015-16), which must be checked to save the previous resources of irrigation water, and cultivating the cotton crop, it added.
To a question about the import of duty-free cotton from India, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Federal Minister for Ministry of National Food Security and Research said the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) had rejected the demand of textile mills for allowing duty-free import of cotton. The government will not allow import of duty-free cotton from India, until and unless all the locally produced cotton is sold completely, he added.
Abdullah told the committee that there is no ban on the import of cotton through sea route; however, limited import of cotton is allowed from India via Wagah Border. The government has estimated cotton crop output 11.039 million bales for 2016-17, he added.
Senator Muhammad Mohsin Khan Leghari said that out of 79 per cent cotton grown in Punjab, 26 per cent is grown in southern Punjab and majority of the population of the area depends on cotton crop for their livelihood. "Verdict of Lahore High Court (LHC) with respect to ban on shifting of sugar mills should be implemented and sugar mills should not be installed in southern Punjab," he said, adding that a letter should be written to the Prime Minister in this regard.
Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan Dhandla, Gul Bashra and senior officials of MNFS&R also attended the meeting.