Pakistan’s cotton industry is experiencing a revival as the arrival of cotton in local markets surged by a remarkable 49.37% during the first week of September 2023 when compared to the same period last year, according to an official statement from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
As of September 1, 2023, approximately 3.041 million cotton bales had already flooded the local markets, contrasting significantly with the 1.539 million bales recorded in the corresponding month in 2022. The ministry attributed this encouraging trend to the provision of certified quality seeds and various incentives introduced by the government to ensure equitable returns for cotton growers nationwide.
Sindh saw an impressive growth of 57.84% in cotton arrivals, with over 1.901 million bales harvested compared to 801,772 bales during the same period last year. In the Punjab, cotton arrivals reached 1.068 million bales, marking a 51.82% increase from 703,993 bales the previous year. Meanwhile, Balochistan experienced a surge of 51.92%, with 70,600 bales harvested compared to 33,945 bales in the same period of 2022.
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During this period, 168,726 cotton bales were exported, while the textile sector purchased 2,615,271 bales, marking a 49.35% increase from the previous year.
To further boost cotton production, the ministry, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, organised awareness campaigns on field sessions for crop management and pest control. Pesticide management workshops were also conducted.
In addition, 25 master trainers were trained to disseminate knowledge on innovative crop sowing techniques, fertilisers, and pesticide management to enhance per-acre cotton output. Over 100 farmers from various crop-producing regions received training on the latest production technology, aiming to increase the per-acre cotton output, a vital cash crop for Pakistan.
The launch of seed traceability revealed that total cotton seed requirements were estimated at 41,048 metric tonnes, with 25,986 metric tonnes of seeds readily available for farmers.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2023.
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