Pakistan’s cotton production has dropped by more than 60% over the past decade, raising concerns about the future of the country’s cotton industry. Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ehsanul Haq said Pakistan was the only major cotton-producing country to suffer such a sharp decline.
Haq blamed weak enforcement of crop zoning laws, excessive sugarcane cultivation in cotton-growing areas and the establishment of new sugar mills. He said authorities must restrict sugarcane farming in designated cotton belts to restore cotton output. He also urged the government to strengthen cotton research stations and improve support for farmers.
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Haq called for the proposed Pakistan Cotton Board to operate under a legal framework led by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association. He suggested bringing the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee and its affiliated institutions under the new board. Representatives from industry associations, textile education bodies, private seed companies and government institutions could also join the proposed body.
The decline in cotton production and quality has deepened the domestic sector’s crisis, Haq said. Pakistan now relies more heavily on imported cotton and edible oil, putting additional pressure on foreign exchange reserves. He added that the government had yet to introduce an effective plan despite a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar about a year ago.
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Haq said authorities had reportedly decided at that meeting to establish the cotton board under APTMA’s leadership. However, implementation faced a delay of around one year, although signs of progress had recently emerged. He also urged federal and provincial governments to enforce crop zoning rules and modernise the Pakistan Meteorological Department for accurate, timely weather forecasts.
Meanwhile, cotton prices fell by Rs200 per maund last week to Rs18,500 amid financial pressures and limited textile mill purchases. Haq also cited yarn and fabric imports under the Export Facilitation Scheme and government inspections of ginning factories as factors affecting the market. He raised concerns over reported financial scandals involving billions of rupees in Faisalabad’s yarn market and millions at some Sindh ginning factories.