Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Sohail Mahmood Haral called for urgent government measures to revive the country’s cotton sector, warning that production had fallen sharply from around 15 million bales to just 5.5 million bales last year, posing a serious threat to farmers, ginners and the broader agricultural and industrial value chain.
Cotton decline threatens rural economy: PCGA
MULTAN, Oct 05 (APP): Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Sohail Mahmood Haral called for urgent government measures to revive the country’s cotton sector, warning that production had fallen sharply from around 15 million bales to just 5.5 million bales last year, posing a serious threat to farmers, ginners and the broader agricultural and industrial value chain.
In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Haral urged the government to ensure immediate availability of quality cotton seed, revive the country’s research and seed-development system, and provide farmers with certified, high-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-resilient varieties in time for sowing.
He also demanded immediate withdrawal of sales tax on cottonseed cake, saying its re-imposition last year had increased the cost burden on farmers and reduced the profitability of cotton cultivation.
Haral said cotton was the foundation of a major value-added export chain extending from farmers and ginners to spinning, weaving, processing and garments, while also contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings and rural employment.
He said cotton picking alone generated around Rs300 billion in rural employment annually, while ginning factories supported direct and indirect employment as well as transport, trade and other local businesses in cotton-growing areas.
The PCGA chairman said cotton was not merely a fibre-producing crop, as its seed provided edible oil and cottonseed cake served as an important feed for livestock, particularly dairy animals. A decline in cotton production therefore also affected the edible oil and livestock sectors.
He further pointed out that cotton stalks and wood served as an important renewable fuel source in rural areas, while cotton could provide greater economic value in relation to water use at a time when Pakistan was facing growing groundwater challenges.
According to Haral, the country once had around 1,300 cotton ginning factories, but only about 400 were currently operational. Several factories had been demolished while many others remained closed, putting billions of rupees in investment and rural employment at risk.
He urged the government to make cotton revival a national economic priority, saying restoration of the sector was essential not only for farmers and ginners but also for the livestock, edible oil, textile and export sectors and the wider rural economy.
