Govt urged to ask TCP for cotton purchase

LAHORE: Pakistan Agri Forum Chairman Ibrahim Mughal on Wednesday urged the government to mobilize Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to buy cotton from local market to facilitate the farmers as a target of 15 to 16 million cotton bales was likely to be achieved this year.

Talking to APP, he said that cotton on a record area of 8.7 million acres had been cultivated in the country and if TCP was not procure cotton from the market, the country may face cotton crisis next year.

He also urged the agriculture department to play its due role in achieving this target by extending all possible cooperation to the growers.

Last year, the international cotton rates were 80 cents while Pakistan at that time was selling cotton at the rate of Rs3,000 per maund, he said and added that now cotton rates at international level were 99 cents so it should be sold at Rs3,500/- per maund.

He alleged that cartelization by ginners and textile sector had caused decrease of cotton price upto Rs2,000 per manud which, he added, would badly harm the interest of the cotton growers.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011