About 12.655 million cotton bales output likely this year

ISLAMABAD: Despite the torrential rains and flash floods across the country, about 12.655 million cotton bales output is expected during the current crop season.

In Punjab Province cotton crop have been cultivated over 5,766,082 acres out of 6,000,000 acres which meats 96 percent of cotton sowing target set for the year 2013-14, said Cotton Commissioner, Dr. Khalid Abdullah.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday he said that second meeting of Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) was held with Secretary Ministry of Textile Industry Division, Rukhsana Shah in the chair to asses the volume of current cotton crop in the country.

The meeting was informed that Sindh has achieved 88 percent of the set sowing targets as 1,410,793 acres out of 1,606,185 acres of target has been sown.

Dr. Abdullah said that the meeting was informed that about 9.00 million bales production were expected during the period under review as 3.54 million bales out put are expected from the Sindh Province.

Besides, 0.108 million bales production is likely from the Balochistan and 0.007 million bales from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added.

Secretary, Textile Industry Division Ms. Rukhsana Shah has emphasized on the availability of quality cotton seed which ensures enhanced production, and discussed the importance of clean cotton and implementation of quality standards and standard bale weight in the national interest.

She was informed that the variety approval process was delayed at the National Bio-safety center (NBC) and all the newly developed varieties are in the pipeline due to not having certification from NBC.

Secretary textile Industry Division assured the meeting that the matter would be taken up with concerned authorities in order to ensure the availability of certified seed.

Representatives of Provincial Governments, Trading Cooperation of Pakistan (TCP), Cotton Growers, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Karachi Cotton Association, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) and cotton growers from Punjab and Sind province attended the meeting.