ISLAMABAD – The government plans to explore rain fed (Barani) areas for enhancing cotton cultivation as the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has offered complete financial support for boosting the cotton production to 20 million bales during the next few years. According to an official source, the offer was made by the conglomerate of textile exporters at the meeting of the specially formed committee to enhance cotton production. APTMA representatives stressed enhancing the domestic cotton crop target to 15 million bales this year, as they are facing increasing difficulty in importing quality cotton.
The meeting was attended by the top confidants of the president and PPP leaders Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Textile Minister Makhdom Shahabuddin and Agriculture Minister Mir Israrullah Zehri as well as APTMA representatives and senior officials. President Asif Ali Zardari had formed the committee in February this year to address the woes of the textile sector. President was taking keen interest in facilitating the textile millers, as he considers their support vital for the party in Punjab, the source said.
It is important to mention that India had imposed ban on the export of cotton to Pakistan after the hike in the commodity prices in the international markets. The local textile sector had placed orders close to three million bales from India. After the ban the textile sector turned to Uzbekistan to import one million bales of cotton to take benefit from the rise in yarn exports. APTMA offered to provide funding to provincial agriculture extension departments, which the provincial representatives said lacked financial resources to perform their duties.
Provincial representatives demanded provision of Rs 150 million to improve the working of extension department, the source said adding that the Secretary Ministry of Food and Agriculture Shafqat Hussain Naghmi proposed that the ministry had an allocation of Rs 1 billion for subsidy that could be shared with the provinces.
However ex federal ministers, Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Rana Farooq opposed the move and said that more resources were allocated to provinces after the 18th amendment and the lack of funds was not an appropriate excuse.
They should improve their extension departments from their own resources. APTMA represented offered to provide the funding but they wanted assurances that it should be properly utilised and audited. APTMA proposed replacement of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee with a new fully autonomous board that should expedite indigenous research and development for the enhancement of the cotton crop. However, it was pointed out to them that it required approval from the parliament. Meanwhile a statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry said that meeting was informed that 200 drills and ridgers would be provided to Baluchistan and KPK provinces to encourage cotton sowing in both the provinces.
Agriculture Minister Zehri said that new potential areas for cotton cultivation were identified in Baluchistan, KPK and Potohar region including Lasbella, Khuzdar, command area of Mirani Dam, Sibi, Loralai, Dadar DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Noshehra, Swabi, Chakwal, Attock, Jehlum. He said that the 33 percent certified and approved varieties of cotton seed would be available and percentage of germination, per acre seed quantity and other important instructions must be written on seed bags. Pesticide for seed treatment before sowing shall be provided free of cost by seed companies.
