Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan has held agricultural scientists, research institutions and seed mafia responsible for the low production of cotton. Talking to media persons, he said that climate change had affected the crop by 5 to 9 percent, while spurious seeds had badly hit the cotton crop. He said that research institutes could not evolve well-germinated and heat-resistant varieties during the two decades.
Shehzad said that PCGA had planned a National Cotton Conference to save this cash crop and it had invited all stakeholders, however the date and venue of the conference would be announced later with the consent of the participants. He said that PCGA would invite All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Presidents of chambers of commerce and industry from Mianwali to Hyderabad, Seed breeding companies, representatives of Farmers Association of Pakistan (FAP) Cotton Growers Association, Anjuman Kashtkaran, Pakistan Kisan Board, APBUMA and others.
He said that it was an alarming situation that cotton crop had dropped by 40 percent and the country had suffered a loss of more than Rs 20 billion due to the negligence of the agriculture department of Punjab as well as research institutes. He said that it was not merely a negligence or mistake, it was a major crime and the responsible persons must be punished.