How ironic it is that a country whose economy's mainstay is agriculture is going to witness a whopping shortfall of cotton bales. According to a Business Recorder news item, the government has stated that there would be a shortfall of 7 million bales of cotton as total production is now estimated at 8 million bales against the requirement of 15 million bales, which may have a negative impact on textile exports.

Cotton has already lost a lot of its space to sugarcane in recent years. This development will certainly not augur well for country's export prospects. The government is therefore required to take all remedial measures without any further loss of time.