Cotton production in Pakistan in last 10 years

The Textile Iindustry contributes 8.5% towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is almost 46% of the total manufacturing sector of the economy.

Moreover, the Textile industry is the most significant contributor of the export earnings as per the Economic Survey of Pakistan.

Pakistan is the 4th largest producer and 3rd largest consumer of cotton. However, during the last 10 years both cotton area and production has witnessed continuous decline as given in the following Table;

Area (million), production (million bales) and Yield (kg/ha) of cotton in Pakistan

The low quality seed and pesticides, high insect infestation, low profitability of cotton crop, climate related issues etc. were the major factors of the decrease in the cotton productivity during the last 10 years.

The government has taken the following measures to enhance the cotton production;

• In order to safeguard cotton farmers, the mechanism of cotton initiative price has been introduced.
• The government continues to heavily subsidize the supply of inputs like seed, fertilizer, credit, pesticides and energy for farmers.
• The government is currently trying to introduce best cotton seed technology in Pakistan. The discussions are in progress with local and Multinational GMO seed technology providers for introducing high quality GMO cotton seed in Pakistan.
• In order to ensure continuous availability of high-quality seeds. regulatory reforms have been introduced. Plant Breeders Right (PBR) Act 2016 and its effective enforcement will be helpful in this regard.

Note: The above information was shared with the National Assembly by the Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema on November 25, 2022.