Punjab aims for bumper cotton crop

Caretaker chief minister says collective efforts from all sectors required

LAHORE:

A special ceremony in honour of Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday stressed the need for collective efforts from all sectors to achieve desired targets.

Addressing a press conference, alongside Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce and Industry Dr Gohar Ejaz, following an event organised by the Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) to mark World Cotton Day, Naqvi highlighted Pakistan’s cotton crop situation and noted the record production of cotton in Punjab. He appreciated the role of the agriculture department, APTMA, and the Pakistan Army, which provided technical support to control a whitefly attack on the cotton crop.

Naqvi informed that the whitefly attack had damaged almost 1.5 million cotton bales, while floods in the Satluj also destroyed cotton grown over 70,000 acres of land.

“This year, rice worth $2 billion will be exported, while special attention is being paid towards achieving the maximum per acre yield of wheat this year,” he said.

The CM emphasised that providing quality seed and fertiliser to farmers was necessary, in addition to implementing a good strategy to obtain desired production targets. “It is the need of the hour to streamline research institutes,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said that the price of sugar had been reduced from Rs180 to Rs140-150. “The situation will further improve when smuggling is completely curbed.

“An all-out effort is being made to complete the development work as soon as possible,” said Naqvi. He also added that relevant departments were working to control smog.

Meanwhile, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Kashif Anwar has emphasised that Pakistan’s cotton sector can play a critical role in economic development and poverty alleviation provided the government formulates sustainable and supportive policies with the consultation of stakeholders.“It is a good sign that Pakistan’s cotton sector has made a remarkable recovery, with a 71% surge recorded in cotton production,” a press statement quoted him as saying.

However, the LCCI president noted with concern that the production of cotton witnessed a sharp decline, dropping from 8.3 million bales in the 2021-22 season to 4.9 million bales in the 2022-23 season. But now it has been registering a significant improvement.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2023.

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