The production of cotton in Pakistan is likely to decline during the current crop season, Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin has said. Speaking in the National Assembly, the Minister said as per the estimates of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee, Pakistan is likely to produce 12.666 million bales, compared to production of 13.59 bales last season.
The Minister attributed the decline in cotton production to an eight percent reduction in cultivation area during 2012-13, because of lack of availability of water at the time of harvest.
The low prices of cotton last year and crop damage caused due to floods and canal breaches in cotton growing areas of Punjab and Sindh were also cited as reasons for dip in the country’s cotton production this year.
The Minister highlighted the steps taken by the Government to increase cotton production, which includes introduction of high-yield varieties with good fibre characteristics and making good quality certified seeds available to the farmers. As a result, cotton yields have gone up from 724.7 kg per hectare in 2010-11 cotton marketing season to 815.34 kg per hectare in last season.
