LAHORE: Provincial Agriculture Minister Sayed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani Wednesday assured the textile millers of full support for Cotton Revival Plan.
He made this assurance during his visit to All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) office here. He was accompanied by Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo and senior officers of the Agriculture Department including Dr. Anjum Buttar (Executive Member, PARB), Abdul Hameed (Director General Agriculture Extension) and Naveed Asmat Kholo. While, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad, Chairman(North) Asad Shafi, Treasurer (North) Mohammad Qasim and other senior members of the association welcomed the minister.
During the meeting, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad briefed the delegation on APTMA’s role and the critical contribution of the textile sector to Pakistan’s national economy and exports. He highlighted that in addition to high energy costs, the textile industry is facing crisis due to continuous decline in domestic cotton production, and called for urgent corrective measures to protect cotton cultivation in Pakistan.
He added that APTMA is proactively working to revive cotton in close collaboration with key stakeholders including Green Pakistan Initiative, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, and others. Through extensive consultations, APTMA has developed a comprehensive Cotton Revival Roadmap, which includes the establishment of a central R&D controlling body the Pakistan Cotton Board. He emphasized that the implementation of this cotton revival plan is essential to safeguard the future of cotton in Pakistan.
Asad Shafi, Chairman APTMA (North), stated that Pakistan has the capacity to double its textile exports provided that energy tariffs and raw material prices are made competitive.
Dr. Muhammad Javed, Cotton Advisor APTMA, gave a detailed presentation on the cotton revival plan, stressing the urgent need for establishment of Pakistan Cotton Board at national level. He mentioned that Cabinet Committee on Cotton Revival, chaired Deputy Prime Minister, has already issued directions for the implementation of the APTMA-developed cotton revival plan.
Addressing the meeting, Provincial Agriculture Minister Sayed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani reaffirmed full support of Punjab Government to the textile industry. He stated that cotton is Punjab’s main cash crop, and the province cannot afford a further decline in cotton area and production. He shared that over the last two years, Punjab Government has made strong efforts to revive cotton cultivation, though further coordinated actions are still required.
He highlighted that water-intensive crops are not a sustainable option in many parts of Punjab. He referred to the ban on early rice cultivation last year, which helped promote early cotton sowing and yielded positive results. He further said that Punjab is engaging with countries such as the United States and China to strengthen research collaboration and develop climate-resilient cotton seed varieties. He offered full cooperation to APTMA and invited its officials to the Agriculture Department for a detailed technical session. He also assured that APTMA’s Cotton Revival Plan would be transformed into a collective national plan after consultations with farmers and all stakeholders.
Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo informed the meeting that Punjab has finalized its Cotton Strategy for 2026 well in advance. He strongly endorsed the need for a central national cotton body to control and coordinate R&D, terming it the only sustainable solution for the revival of cotton in Pakistan.
At the conclusion of the meeting, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad thanked the Minister, Secretary Agriculture, and all participants for their valuable time, constructive engagement, and commitment to supporting cotton and the textile industry in Pakistan.
