Urgent relief to cotton ginners, textile industry urged

KARACHI: President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) Mian Zahid Hussain has said that if the government departments failed to provide relief to the cotton ginners and the textile industry and failed to ensure farmers’ access to climate-resilient modern seeds, other countries will snatch Pakistan’s remaining share in the global market.

He stated that cotton is the backbone of the country’s agricultural economy and exports, and the severe decline in its production has inflicted massive damage on the Pakistani economy.

Endorsing the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA)

demands, he urged that all sugar mills operating within cotton zones be shifted immediately, the sales tax on cotton and its by-products be completely abolished, fixed taxes included in electricity bills be eliminated, and the strict implementation of the Cotton Control Act be ensured.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that according to the September 2026 report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Pakistan’s total cotton production for the year 2026-27 is projected to be a mere 4.9 million bales, whereas the production target was 9.6 million bales. The domestic spinning industry’s annual requirement is 10 million bales.

To bridge this massive shortfall, Pakistan will have to import over 5 million bales, worth approximately $2 billion or 600 billion rupees.

He said that the continuous downward trajectory in cotton production is primarily due to an approximate 33 percent decrease in the cotton cultivation area over the last decade, which has caused Pakistan’s GDP to stagnate at $452 billion and national exports to freeze at the $30 billion mark.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that industrial production costs in Pakistan are the highest in the region, which has severely crippled our ginning, spinning, and textile industries.

Mian Zahid Hussain termed the decision to allow setting up of sugar mills in dedicated cotton zones “as a historic and strategic mistake”, which has caused shrinkage to the cotton cultivation area and its yield potential.

Strongly endorsing the PCGA’s demand, he reiterated that sugar mills established in cotton zones may be relocated immediately, and the Cotton Control Act must be implemented in its true spirit.

The fundamental purpose of this Act, he explained, is to protect cotton zones from the encroachment of other crops and unrelated industries, provide legal protection for the supply of standard and pure seeds in the market, and safeguard the cotton crop from diseases and adulterated pesticides to restore its quality to international standards.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026