The government is likely set cotton production target for the year at 15 million bales against 14 million bales of last year. According to sources in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), last year cotton growers received double price for their produce in domestic and in the international markets and therefore Pakistan's cotton production is expected to increase by 10-15 percent this year.
In 2009-10, farmers sold cotton at Rs 1700 per 40 kg, but during last year cotton price jumped to Rs 4000 per 40 kg. Sources said that cotton crop would be cultivated on nearly one million acres against last year's 0.7 million acres, with the forecast output of 14 million bales of cotton. However, the devastating August floods damaged the cotton crop on nearly 0.6 million acres.
Officials said that most of the farmers in Sindh and Punjab are set to replace rice crop with cotton as last year rice growers were unable to get good return on the crop. Many sugarcane growers are also considering growing cotton instead, because cotton witnessed handsome returns promptly last year, while sugar millers' payment for sugarcane is not timely.
Further, the textile industry has vowed to bear research and development-related cost of cotton production so that per acre yield of cotton should rise in the country, which would not only benefit the local industry but would also earn foreign exchange for the country. Last month, Special Cotton Committee, constituted by the President of Pakistan, also recommended an increase in cotton cultivation by 8 percent.
The government is also establishing Pakistan Cotton Board as an autonomous body under public-private partnership to develop a CLCV resistant variety in the final stage of formulation. Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) was asked to import more germ-plasma to be handed over to researchers for further development. Pakistan Agriculture Research Centre (PARC) is also tasked to import germ plasma of different varieties so that local cotton production could be enhanced.
Last year, cotton output was over 11.5 million bales against the target of 14 million bales. Pakistan's textile industry annually requires nearly 14.5 million bales and if this year cotton production is increased by 8 percent due to favourable weather conditions the country would produce nearly 15 million bales.
The estimated loss to the cotton crop due to floods in cotton growing areas of Punjab and Sindh stood at over Rs 120 billion. According to officials, Pakistan is the world's fourth biggest cotton producer, but often has to import it to meet the demand of local textile sector, which accounts for about 60 percent of total exports. The textile industry has requested the government to take keen interest in introducing virus-resistant cotton seeds so that the farmers and textile industry of the country could gain maximum advantage, which would enable the country to generate foreign exchange reserves.
The All Pakistan Textiles Mills Association (Aptma) had also formed a committee on cotton to modernise local cotton seed as per international standards so that cotton production is enhanced to meet domestic requirements. Aptma has identified Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) protection techniques, improving research and offering Special Pay Packages (SPS) for cotton researchers so that they could develop and introduce virus-resistant cotton seed varieties.
Aptma has assured the government that the textile industry would bear all the cost of cotton research, saying that increasing cotton output in Pakistan is the need of the hour and the industry would provide all necessary financial support to the researchers.
The government has decided to start a crash programme to increase cotton production in 2011-12 in coordination with the provincial governments and private sector and focus on ways that can help boost cotton production.
The government is planning to motivate farmers of non-cotton growing areas to cultivate cotton in Dera Ismail Khan District that may increase output from 10,000 bales to 30,000 bales due to the construction of Gomal Zam dam. Pakistan's per acre cotton production at present is nearly 8 maunds, which could be increase to 10 maunds. The government has devised a plan to increase per acre cotton production under which by the end of 2015 Pakistan would produce 20 million bales of cotton. Balochistan province has the potential to produce huge quantity of cotton, but it needs attention from the concerned authorities, sources said.