Food security ministry wants to take back control of cotton dept

Textile ministry thinks otherwise, says dept must remain within it

ISLAMABAD: A tug of war seems to have started between the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the Ministry of Textile Industry over ownership of the cotton department, which currently rests with the latter.

According to officials, the Ministry of National Food Security is seeking to take back control of the cotton department, arguing it has much relevance to the agricultural sector and it must be under supervision of the food ministry.



In this regard, the food security ministry has prepared a summary for approval of the prime minister. The cotton department, which coordinates with provinces in policy matters relating to cotton cultivation and other issues, was handed over to the textile ministry under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

It is argued that performance of the cotton department is deteriorating under the textile ministry and a major reason being cited, among other factors, is a sharp fall of 35% in cotton production in the current season.

Earlier, the cotton department was working under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture before the 18th Constitution Amendment, which led to devolution of the ministry to provinces and the department was given under supervision of the Ministry of Textile Industry.

Later in 2012, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research was established at the federal level to ensure food security in the country. It sent a summary to then prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani seeking to take back control of the cotton department, but the premier turned down the proposal after hearing arguments of the textile ministry.



Talking to The Express Tribune, senior official of the Ministry of Textile Industry, Qamar Muhammad Usman, said the food security ministry had sent a summary to the prime minister in 2012, but it was objected on the ground that cotton had much relevance to the textile ministry as almost 80% to 90% of it was consumed by the textile industry and it had nothing to do with the food ministry.

“We are not aware of the fresh summary, but we will give the same comments while recording our objections,” he said.

According to Usman, average cotton production in Pakistan stands at 13 million bales per year and hardly 0.5 million bales are exported and the remaining is consumed domestically to churn out textile products.

This way, he said, it had more correlation with the textile ministry rather than the food security ministry and logically the cotton department must be with the textile ministry.

“Cotton has no future except for consumption in the textile and clothing industry,” he remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2016.

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