Pakistan to turn dream into reality by relaunching cotton grading, standardization system

MULTAN, Jul 29 (APP): Years long efforts of cotton economy stake holders, particularly Pakistan Cotton Brokers Association (PCBA) are set to bear fruit with the relaunch of Pakistan’s cotton grading and standardization system afresh with a touch of modernity after decades of disregard.

“We, along with other stake holders would try to finalize a date and venue for relaunch next month, possibly Aug 14, the independence day to double the delight,” PCBA president Major (Retired) Kashif Islam told APP by phone few days back, minutes after attending a meeting with cotton stake holders chaired by federal secretary ministry of national food security and research in Islamabad to discuss a way forward.

Pakistani cotton is going to make a mark on the world cotton stage once the system is reactivated as a pilot project though it’s full enforcement across the country would take around three to five years, he later said in a statement on Friday.

“It’s like a dream turning into reality,” he said and added that all this grading and standardization system would be enforced under the umbrella of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI).

Dr. Tasawur Hussain Malik, an eminent agriculture scientist and director of Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute (PCSI), told a gathering of over 30 cotton selectors at a training course Thursday last in Multan that federal government was committed to make funding available for upgrading PCSI laboratories and new machinery acquisition for enforcement of cotton grading and standardization system across the cotton belt to benefit all stake holders including farmers, ginners and textile millers and help them nurture a strong value chain system from farm to ginning factories and onward to textile mills.

Khalid Mahmood, a noted cotton expert, welcomed the initiative as a good beginning to reviving the culture of producing and processing cotton in a way attaching quality to the white gold.

He recalled, there was Cotton Export Corporation that had introduced types of cotton that were recognized internationally but it was disbanded and later replaced by PCSI.

Then six grades were introduced for seed cotton (Phutti) including the top quality tagged as “Super” and rest graded as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 while eleven grades were introduced for lint.

PCBA president Kashif Islam congratulated PCSI on holding two-week course for cotton selectors’ training as beginning of reinfusing soul back into PCSI and a first step to translate PCBA’s struggle into fruition with the relaunch of cotton grading and standardization system, now in sight.

All this would not have been possible without active support of veteran experts like Abid Zaidi, and veteran PCSI stalwarts. He said, PCBA brought all stake holders on one page to achieve the goal and thanked federal secretary ministry of national food security and research (MNFS&R) Zafar Hassan, Vice president PCCC Ijaz Ahmad Bajwa, PCSI director Dr. Tasawur Hussain Malik, cotton commissioner Dr. Zahid Mahmood, Chairman APTMA Asif Inam, Chairman PCGA Waheed Arshad, and KCA for their active support. He specifically thanked PCGA chairman for professional and technical support.

Kashif Islam said, the grading system would be launched as a pilot project on the pattern of PCSI grading introduced earlier but added that it will coincide with efforts to evolve a grading and standardization system matching new trends and international standards. It, however, would take around three to five years to materialize as it would involve framing rules and regulations on the pattern of ICA and arbitration.

Cotton grading and standardization had taken roots in Pakistan in 80s that had ensured better returns to farmers and ginners and supply of good quality fibre to textile industry. However, later it faced disregard from mid 90s leaving the system ineffective.

The revival of this system would encourage farmers harvest good quality seed cotton to get premium price or face price discount in case of poor quality and the same is true for ginners too who transform seed cotton into bales of lint, said Khalid Mahmood.

It would enhance credibility of Pakistani cotton and strengthen trust of foreign buyers and textile millers, said PCBA president Maj. (R) Kashif Islam, adding It would be a game changer to bring about a turnaround in the national economy.