While talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, he said that cotton producing countries that were part of the developed world fully implement their laws and follow prescribed procedures which made their product best among the competitors.
He said that growers started picking cotton in Pakistan during early hours which was not a healthy practice because cotton flower contained moisture at that time. He added that growers faced 20% loss due to problem of contamination.
Moreover, growers sell the Phutti stock displayed on a piece of cloth in the market leaving it exposed to all kinds of contamination, he said.
Khan said that modern ginning plants operating in developed countries were worth Rs3 billion, but a ginning plant in Pakistan was installed for just Rs30 million. Ginners in the developed world get loans at 3% markup which is 20% in Pakistan, he added. He suggested that all stakeholders of the cotton economy and the relevant government departments and research institutes should assemble at one platform and carve out a unanimous strategy to ensure production of long staple cotton in the country through strict enforcement of Cotton Control Act.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.
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