Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has directed the immediate execution of comprehensive reforms to revitalize Pakistan’s struggling cotton sector, underscoring the need for stronger coordination between the public and private sectors.
Chairing a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Essential and Cash Crops on Wednesday, Dar emphasized the importance of increasing private sector representation in policymaking and decision-making bodies to improve the sector’s performance, according to a news release from the DPM’s Office.
The meeting reviewed persistent challenges confronting the cotton industry, including low productivity, fragile supply chains, and inadequate research support. Participants included Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Tariq Bajwa, senior officials from the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, and representatives from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), cotton growers, and ginners.
One of the major decisions taken was to enhance the involvement of APTMA and other private stakeholders in the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) to improve coordination and ensure more effective policymaking for sustainable cotton production.
Dar instructed the Ministry of National Food Security & Research to collaborate closely with all stakeholders for the swift implementation of the proposed reforms.
Calling cotton “a backbone of our economy,” Dar stressed that “immediate and coordinated action is required to address its challenges and ensure its long-term viability.”
The session concluded with an agreement on strategies to enhance productivity, strengthen supply chains, and expand research capacity to support cotton cultivation and broader agricultural development.
