FAISALABAD: The local business community has demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to announce export package for textile industry to overcome the ill impacts of climate change on cotton value chain in the country.
Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Vice President Jameel Ahmed said this while talking to a group of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) that prepared a documentary on impacts of climate change on cotton value chain.
Jameel Ahmed said Faisalabad was predominantly an agro industrial city, which contributed to a big way towards textile exports.
Out of the total exports of $26 billion, 50% was contributed by textile and out of it, half was originated from Faisalabad alone, he added. He mentioned the recent floods that had played havoc with vast tract of Punjab, damaging various crops including cotton crop and rendering thousands of farmers displaced.
He said that Pakistan was 4th largest cotton producing country. “No doubt, BT cotton has played an important role in enhancing per acre yield but still we are producing cotton with short lint, which is generally regarded as low quality, hence many textile mills owners have to import fine quality cotton to produce the fine yarn counts,” he added.
He said that our research institutes have done an excellent job but we need commercialisation of various technologies developed by our scientists and researchers. He explained in detail the bad impacts of energy crisis and said that many leading units have become sick while a large number of other units are working with only half of their installed capacity.
The FCCI vice president said the government had ensured continuous electricity supply to some extent but its cost was very high and exporters were facing a daunting competition from regional competitors.
He said that textile has a major share in national GDP but it has not been given its proportionate share in the policy making and funding. He stressed the need for consulting textile sector in formulation of all major economic policies.
He also said that the prime minister should immediately announce the export package to restore the competitiveness of the textile sector.
Later, he also recorded his views for a documentary prepared by SDPI on impact of climatic change on cotton value chain.
