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Cotton growers seek early release of
water
By Nasir Jamal
 LAHORE(October
09 2010): Pakistan can obtain at least one million
additional bales of cotton if government releases water in
perennial canals during the current month, according to
Pakistan Cotton Forum (PCF), a joint platform of growers,
ginners and spinners.
The forum said on Thursday that recent devastating floods
might have damaged around 2.6 million bales of cotton – one
million bales in Punjab and 1.6 million bales in Sindh,
reducing the current year’s crop in the country to 10.7-11
million bales.
The floods have affected a little over 13 per cent cotton
growing area in Punjab and 35 per cent in Sindh, the PCF
said.
The government can help growers recover part of the lost
crop by providing water to them during the current month, it
was claimed at a meeting of the forum at the office of the
All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma).
The meeting was attended by spinners, ginners, farmers,
cotton scientists from the Punjab government and
representatives of the Karachi Cotton Association.
“The damage to the cotton crop can be curtailed provided
water is supplied to 61 per cent of the cotton belt having
perennial canals till the end of this month,” said Pakistan
Farmer Association office-bearer Farooq Bajwa. He said it
would add one million bales to the crop.
Punjab government expert Dr Abid Mehmood said that
conditions for the cotton crop had improved in September and
if a favourable weather might see additional production in
the next three months.
PCF chairman Mohammad Akber said cotton was in short supply
worldwide, therefore, government should announce measures to
improve productivity of standing cotton crop.
He said water released for cotton this month could be
adjusted in the next crop. “It will save the country over
billion dollars in foreign exchange,” he added.
Aptma chairman Gohar Ejaz warned of negative consequences of
implementation of reformed general sales tax (RGST) on
entire textile sector, saying it would ruin the entire
industry.
He said spinners would have to pay over Rs60 billion on
purchase of cotton during October-December period.
He warned that the trade concessions offered by the European
Union would go waste if textile industry is brought under
the ambit of the value-added tax.
“If the tax has to be imposed, it should be imposed only at
the finishing stage,” he said.
Courtesy: The DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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