ISLAMABAD: Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) here on Monday assessed cotton crop size for the season 2014-15 at 13.4885 million bales.
The third meeting of CCAC was held under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry, Amir Marwat which was attended by representatives from Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute, Karachi Cotton Association, Trading Corporation of Pakistan, Provincial research and extension officials.
The representative from Crop Reporting Departments of Punjab and Sindh provinces appraised the meeting about the crop size and maintained the same cotton crop size as was being assessed in 2nd CCAC meeting.
The meeting therefore, agreed to maintain the cotton crop size for the year 2014-15 in Punajb at 9.902 million bales, Sindh at 3.480 million bales, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 0.0015 million bales and Balochistan 0.1070 million bales respectively.
Cotton Commissioner, Dr Khalid Abdullah appraised the meeting about cotton crop condition and status of cotton arrival position in ginning factories.
He informed the meeting that natural climatic condition and seed quality issues are the major obstacles in achieving cotton production targets.
Due to construction of Gomal Zam Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, around 200,000 acres are expected to be brought under cotton crop cultivation and the Ministry of Textile Industry is putting all out efforts to bring most of this area under cotton cultivation, as cotton is low water consuming crop, he remarked.
The representative from Karachi Cotton Association stressed upon development of long and extra long staple cotton varieties in order to get premium prices while trading cotton internationally.
Secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry stressed upon stakeholders for putting extra efforts in increasing cotton acreage which is a high value crop and single largest export earner.
He further stressed for inter-sectoral coordination and efficiently working as a team will result in achieving targets and assured that the ministry would facilitate cotton trade business and make efforts in enhancing cotton production in the country.
He also directed to engage cotton experts of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) in cotton promotional, extension campaigns being launched by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the province.
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