Task Force to address competitiveness of cotton economy

Members of the Task Force (Cotton) hailing from the Farmers Associate Pakistan (FAP), Kissan Ittehad and Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), APTMA and KCA participated in the meeting held Thursday at the APTMA Punjab office. The meeting reviewed the causes of unprecedented decline in the cotton production in 2015-16 and proposed measures for achieving maximum production of cotton for the coming cotton crop season. The Task Force (Cotton) elected unanimously Seth Muhammad Akbar from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab as its first Chairman and Khawaja Tahir Mahmood from the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) as Vice Chairman of the Task force (Cotton) unanimously.

The Task force noted down that the sowing season of new cotton crop was just around the corner and the country cannot afford another damage of the only cash crop and a subsequent failure of related stakeholders in the supply chain. They further pointed out that the retail business in Pakistan was already witnessing a visible negative impact of dwindling farmers' income in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, the newly-elected Chairman Seth Muhammad Akbar said the government should immediately take necessary measures to strengthen cotton production in the country this year.

He said all the taxes on water, electricity, seed, pesticides and fertilizers be removed to enable the cotton growers to compete regionally in terms of the input cost.

Similarly, he said, the services of agriculture extension and the availability of the agricultural technology should be made available to the cotton growers right from the land