Government Declares 2025 as the Year for Cotton Revival in Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan:The government, in collaboration with the private sector, has declared 2025 as the year for the revival of cotton production in Pakistan. This decision comes in light of the significant decrease in cotton production in the country over recent years.

Until a few years ago, Pakistan’s annual cotton production was around 14 million bales, but this has now dwindled to approximately 5 million bales. Experts have expressed concern over this decline, highlighting that Pakistan, once a cotton-exporting nation, is now importing cotton worth 4 billion dollars annually. They have pointed out that this situation raises questions about the performance of various agricultural ministries and institutions in managing the cotton industry.

Agriculture experts have emphasized the need to address the ongoing decline in cotton yield per acre. To combat this, they have stressed the importance of new research and the availability of high-quality seeds.

In order to boost cotton production, agricultural experts have called for the immediate approval of importing seeds from China and removing outdated regulations that hinder progress.

If cotton yield per acre is not increased, experts warn that both the textile sector and farmers will continue to suffer.

A recent report by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, released in January 2024, stated that while Pakistan’s total cotton production for the 2023-2024 season was still below the target, it showed a significant increase of 77% compared to the previous year. By December 31, 2023, the total national cotton production reached 8.17 million bales, although this was still around 4.3 million bales short of the initial production target. Despite this, it was a considerable improvement over the previous year’s production.