MULTAN: The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) expressed severe concerns over the 39.45 percent reduction of cotton crop 2020, saying, a bigger size crop can steer the economy out of stress and the production goal of 15-20 million cotton bales needed availability of quality seed and not vast tracts of land.
PCGA chairman Dr. Jassu Mal said that a largely rural population of the country’s vast cotton belt relies on white gold for livelihood and reduction in production has not only put them in trouble but also contributed to bringing the economy under stress.
He stressed the need to avail the opportunity to set a direction to a bigger production of silver fiber. He pledged that PCGA was ready to play its part along with other stakeholders in efforts to regain the 15 million bales production mark.Dr. Jassu Mal emphasized the need to invest ample resources in improving the quality of cotton up to international standards.
He said that arrival of cotton was calculated at 26,88,385 bales till Oct 15, 2020, across the country while 12,13,908 bales in Punjab, down from 20,49,933 bales last year.
It is indeed a very serious situation that must force institutions to think whether the cotton farmers were diverting to alternative profit-generating crops, he said. And if it turns out to be true then how their trust can be revived on cotton. Dr. Jassu Mal said that the world has employed technology to improve their crop size and strengthened their economies adding Pakistan must also follow the suit.
He said that PCGA had already submitted its proposals and cooperates with all the ministries and departments for the revival of cotton cultivation. He said that increase in crop size and improvement in the quality of cotton was the recipe to prosperity.
He said that a comprehensive strategy be finalized in consultation with all the stakeholders and government ministries and departments to elevate cotton production to 15-20 million bales. He said that better quality seed and availability of agriculture experts and officials was all it needed to achieve the milestone and not the vast tracts of land.
