Exports: Minister pushes for cotton production

ISLAMABAD: One of the main reasons for the decrease in textile exports is the decline in cotton production in the country, Minister for Commerce and Trade Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday informed the National Assembly. The steep decline in textile exports of Pakistan during the first seven months of the current financial year has caused grave concern amongst the public and exporters, it was pointed out. The minister said for the last decade there was a lack of proper research on development of new cotton seeds. He said that decline in prices of cotton in international markets and depreciation of Euro against the dollar was another reason for the decrease in country’s textile exports. There was a quantitative increase in Pakistan’s exports, but owing to decline in international commodities’ prices exporters were earning less, he added. Dastgir said despite international recession, the country is making good progress in the value-added sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2016.

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