ISLAMABAD: Government will establish a modern cotton trading house in Multan, aiming at facilitating growers, buyers as well as sellers with latest technology to encourage cotton trade and production in the country.

The modern trading house will provide all the facilities to the people involved in cotton trade under one-roof including seed testing labs, quality control cells, certified seeds and pesticides to ensure enhancement in quality as well as in quantity of the cotton production.

An official in the Ministry of Textile Industry (MinTI) told APP here on Wednesday that the trading house will be equipped with all modern facilities to keep the concerned people informed about the local and international cotton market behaviors.

He further said that Federal Committee on Cotton headed by Minister for Textile Industry will be formed in few days to fix the cotton sowing targets in the country.

Besides, the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research in its current meeting will also take up the availability of certified seeds issue, which has been a major impediments in crop out-put in the country, he added.

The official said that shortage of water and non-availability of certified cotton seeds has resulted in decline of cotton sowing in Punjab Province as sowing in core areas were decreased by 5 percent and non-core areas by 47 percent as compared to the last year.

However, he said that the crop sowing in Sindh Province was satisfactory as compared to the Punjab adding that the water supply will improve by the end of current month as reported by the authorities.

Meanwhile, he said that declining prices trend in local as well as international markets also discouraged the growers from sowing the cotton crop.

It is expected that sowing will get momentum which will continue till the mid of next month as water position will also be improved, he remarked.