In an effort to address the ongoing decline in cotton production, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced the formation of a high-level committee. This committee, tasked with revitalizing the cotton industry, was established through an official notification issued from Islamabad.
The committee will be led by the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research. It comprises 15 members from diverse sectors, including government officials, former ministers, cotton experts, textile industry representatives, farmers, former members of the National Assembly, and the Vice Chancellor of the Agricultural University.
The committee has been directed to assess the current state of cotton production and propose policy and administrative measures to restore the sector. Additionally, it will provide recommendations for proper grading and standardization of cotton bales in accordance with international standards, focusing especially on contamination issues. The committee will also be tasked with offering technical proposals to increase cotton yield and improve quality per acre across the country.
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research will officially notify the committee and serve as its secretariat. The committee is expected to submit its report to the Prime Minister within 30 days.
The newly formed committee to address the decline in cotton production includes the following members: the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, who will serve as the convener; Mr.
Hussain Tariq, MNA; Dr. Ahsan Rana from LUMS; Dr. Kausar Malik, former Minister for National Food Security and Research; Dr.
M Aslam, a cotton expert; Mr. Tariq Mahmud from Pak-Kuwait Textiles; Mr. Asif Inam, former Chairman of APTMA; Mian Mahmood Ahmed, former Chairman of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA); Mr.
Imran Buzdar, a cotton farmer from Sindh; Mr. Ahsan Bajwa, a cotton farmer from Punjab; Mr.
M. Siddiqui, a cotton farmer from Balochistan; Sheikh Fayyaz, former MNA from Rahim Yar Khan; the Vice Chancellor of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan; and the Secretaries of Agriculture Departments from Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan. The Secretary of National Food Security and Research will serve as the secretary to the committee.
The committee has been given a mandate to submit its recommendations for the revival of cotton production and is expected to provide its report within the next 30 days for the Prime Minister’s consideration.
