ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to start a contamination free cotton campaign in order to improve the standard of cotton.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Investment while talking to the media on Wednesday said that Pakistan is producing low-quality seeds and pesticides which is why the country’s cotton production is decreasing.
“We have found a different kind of contamination in cotton bails such as plastic, animal feed and others so how the foreigner businessmen can prefer our cotton comparable to India and Bangladesh”, he added.
“Pakistan Cotton production has dipped down to 10.8 million bales which were 14 million bales in 2004. Pakistan cotton research department is not doing any research”, he said, adding that the government will seek help from China in upcoming tour to give assistance on cotton research.
The advisor said that the textile sector contributes 60 per cent to the country’s exports and cotton is the main component of textile products.
He revealed that Pakistan is losing its share of trade not only in the international market but also in the regional market because it is producing low quality cotton.
Keeping in view all these things, Razzak stated that the Ministry of Textile has decided to start contamination free cotton campaign around the country with the consultation of provinces and we will produce 50 million bales in next five years.
“If we succeed in this campaign than I can assure that Pakistan can produce much better quality cotton comparable to regional countries”, he added.
“We have a plan to end the duties on the export related industry in the next two years as when government end the duties, country export start to grow but when government imposed tax, country export plunged down”, he said, adding that we have an example of the last ten years as this decade was de-industrialization era so that’s why import has not been enhanced.
Razzak Daud said that the prime minister is going to Chinn next month and will ask the Chinese to help in the agriculture sector as well as increase the industrial cooperation between the two coutries.
