Federal Minister for Textiles Mushtaq Ali Cheema has said that government had released funds for the establishment of Cotton Ginning Research Institute and Cotton Testing Laboratories and these institutions would be run with the collaboration and consultation of PCGA, Aptma and PCSI.
Talking to journalists here on Friday the minister said that research on all cotton varieties is in process and government would allow only those varieties for cultivation which would be beneficial for the growers. He said that cotton variety must be virus, heat, and disease resistant, well germinated and high yield.
The minister said that cotton is an international produce and its spot rates are announced by the Karachi Cotton Association. He ruled out the possibility of permitting the Multan Cotton Association (MCA) to issue spot rates of cotton immediately.
He said that Ministry of Textile was trying its the best to safeguard the interest of all stake holders of cotton including growers, ginners, spinners, weavers, power loom owners. He dispelled this impression that plan of clean cotton had failed and said that textile mills were purchasing clean and good quality cotton directly from the ginning factories which reflected our success in this field.
He disclosed that government intended to give incentives to textile millers and ginners to modernise their industry by reducing the import duty. He claimed that volume of exports had increased and it would further increase in due course of time.
Talking to a delegation of PCGA he assured that their grievances would be redressed on top priority basis. The minister said that federal government had released funds of Rs 28 million for setting up of Cotton Ginning Research Institute while machinery of Cotton Testing Laboratories had reached at Karachi. He said that textile had progressed by leaps and bounds in Pakistan and we are manufacturing the cloth of international standard. He further said that new textile units were being established in Pakistan which would help in enhancing the job opportunities.
He said that Pakistan did not export cotton this year because it was less than our local consumption. The minister met Aptma members and local industrialists and exchanged views on current situation.
Earlier, the minister chaired a certificate giving ceremony of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute. In which PCGA Chairman Muhammad Azam Waraich said that government should establish one testing laboratory in each circle because cotton ginners cannot afford to spend a huge amount of Rs 25 million on each laboratory. Masood Alam Rizvi and Liaquat Ali Khan of PCSI also addressed the ceremony.