The federal government has renewed its focus on the revival of Pakistan’s cotton sector while assessing national wheat reserves for the coming year, as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural output and food security.
Presiding over the third meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Essential Cash Crops, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged swift and coordinated action to address the steady decline in cotton production and returns. The committee reviewed the proposed Cotton Plan 2025–26, which includes immediate, medium, and long-term interventions to revitalise the crop’s role in the national economy.
Once a mainstay of the country’s agricultural and textile value chain, cotton has suffered from declining acreage, pest issues, and lower profitability in recent years. Dar emphasised the crop’s strategic importance and directed that a comprehensive implementation plan be finalised. “Cotton must reclaim its central role in Pakistan’s agricultural and economic framework,” he said.
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) was directed to convene a follow-up meeting with public and private stakeholders from across the cotton value chain and present a practical roadmap for policy execution.
The committee also reviewed wheat projections for the 2025–26 food year. Officials reported that current stocks are sufficient to meet national demand until the next harvest, easing near-term concerns over food availability.
The meeting was attended by the ministers for National Food Security, Finance, and Planning, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, and senior officials from MNFSR, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Federal Board of Revenue.
