CPEC: Pakistan eyes 50% cotton production growth with Chinese help

Pakistan aims to increase at least 50% production of cotton next year with the help of China as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s second phase which focuses on agriculture, officials said on Sunday afternoon. 

A high-level meeting of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee of the Ministry of National Food Security was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Federal Secretary Food Security Tahir Khurshid to discuss the cotton crop.

Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah gave a detailed overview of the cotton crop on the occasion. He said favorable weather conditions and good cotton prices are one of the reasons for the increase in cotton production.

Representatives of the provincial governments presented an estimate of the cotton crop in the meeting and anticipated the total cotton production in the country for the year 2021-22 at 9.74 million bales.

While expressing satisfaction with the results, they forecast possibly 50% more production in the next crop with the Chinese help under CPEC. 

The farmers have been encouraged as the government has fixed the intervention price of cotton at Pakistani Rs 5,000 per 40 kilogram, which has led to better cotton figures in ginning factories.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces are expected to produce 434,000 bales.

Representatives of the Department, Trading Corporation of Pakistan, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee and cotton growers attended the meeting, according to official details released after the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to review the overall situation of cotton in the country. Federal Secretary Food Security Tahir Khurshid welcomed the participants of the meeting and expressed his views on the aims and objectives of the meeting.