Pakistan is inching towards cotton production target for the current season (2013-14), as Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) revised the crop production target upwards and set it at 12.33 million bales against the revised estimate of 11.95 million bales earlier.

The fourth meeting of CCAC held with Rukhsana Shah Federal Secretary Textile Industry Division in the chair for the third assessment of the crop earlier estimated the target at 11.955 million bales. Representatives of Provincial Governments, Trading Co-operation of Pakistan (TCP), Cotton Growers, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Karachi Cotton Association, Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) and cotton growers from Punjab and Sindh province attended the meeting.

The CCAC in its first meeting projected cotton production target at 13.22 million bales for the current season (2013-14), however in its second meeting, the body revised the cotton production target downwards to 12.65 million bales and to 11.95 million bales in its third meeting.

Dr Khalid Abdullah Cotton Commissioner while giving an overview of the crop production in the country said that cotton crop faced several challenges, especially low availability of irrigation water at the time of sowing, problems of low germination of seed and its poor quality, flood damage and attack of pests was discussed in detail.

Dr Abdullah disclosed that Punjab Seed Council, in its meeting held on 10.11.2013 has approved 15 varieties for general cultivation during crop season 2014-15. He further stated that PCCC has conducted experiments on Long and Extra Long Staple cotton varieties in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, which have produced promising results and hoped the long staple and extra long staple varieties will be released soon for general cultivation.

Representatives of the government of Punjab Department of Crop Reporting Services informed that during 2013-14, cotton was planted on an area of 52,90,000 acres against the target of 60,000,00 acres, showing 11 percent decrease from target and 7.27 percent decrease from the last year's sown area. It was also informed that rain and floods further damaged crop on 1, 18,000 acres. Decrease in sowing was mainly attributed to the low price of seed cotton during last two-three years and farmers' preference towards maize, sugarcane and rice due to monetary advantage over cotton. Representative of government of Sindh stated that 14, 19,656 acres were sown against 16, 06,215 acres last year depicting 13 percent decrease.

Secretary Rukhsana Shah emphasised the need for strengthening cotton grading and standardisation system and stressed upon PCGA for volunteering the Grading Fee Rs 5 per bale. She also stressed on a proactive role of APTMA to ensure premium price for production of quality cotton. There is a dire need to ensure production of quality cotton with proper grading and standardisation, so that Pakistan could earn higher price in international market, she maintained.

Chairman PCGA Mukhtar Khan stated that non-availability of quality seed, non-introduction of new seed technology and competitive price advantage of rice, sugarcane and maize over cotton, are the main factors contributing to low cotton production. The body agreed on the following crop estimates based on the available information: Punjab would produce 8.86 million bales against the initial projection of 9.6 million bales of cotton, Sindh 3.36 million bales against 3.5 million bales, Balochistan 0.108 against 0.18 million bales and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.00043 million bales.