Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has urged upon the Government to approve the Cotton seed act and Breeders Proprietary Rights act forthwith to protect the interest of the growers who had suffered a huge loss of Rs 40 billion at the hands of unscrupulous elements. Addressing a press conference here Chairman of PCGA Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan along with Chairman of ginners group Haji Muhammad Akram said that it was a national tragedy that Pakistan's cotton production has fallen by 40 percent.
He said that what a pity that Pakistan Standard Institute had lost its credibility and no international or local buyer or association is ready to accept the tests of PCSI. Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan said that there were more than 700 registered seed companies but they have no agricultural scientist or expert.
Haji Muhammad Akram said that this year's crop, vital to the country's fragile economy, may yield only 10 million bales (170-kilogram each), far short of the earlier revised estimate of 13.5 million. The Ministry of Textile could not reach to any conclusion for the survival of agricultural sector inspite of elapsing four months. Agricultural Bureaucracy is not ready to accept its responsibilities in destruction of cotton sector to pave the way for Indian cotton and cotton yarn.
Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has protested on submitting anti ginners as well as growers recommendation to ministry of Finance regarding a concession package for the revival of agriculture sector. Chairman of PCGA Nawab Shehzad Ali Khan has urged upon the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to constitute special task force to find the causes of less production and revival of cotton growers who were highly depressed due to less production and unfair return of their produce. Criticising the role of Ministry of Textile Industry of Pakistan, he said that it did nothing to support the stake holders particularly growers and it failed to introduce a viable cotton policy while cotton contributes 8.5% to GDP. He said that no meeting was convened during the last four months while the country was facing severe cotton crisis. Now meeting was being convened on January 22, 2015 after Ninth September's meeting.