The textile sector asks for a support price for Cotton similar to other crops

The hike in cotton prices, a primary raw material of the textile industry, had massively increased business costs. Therefore, the stakeholders emphasized the need to restore domestic production to previous levels by fixing a support price for Cotton similar to other crops. Hanif Lakhany, Vice President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), pointed out that cotton prices had almost doubled in the international market over the past few days.

As a raw material alone, Cotton accounts for 60% of our total production cost.

Despite contributing massively towards the uplift of Pakistan’s economy – exports and local employment – the textile industry faces enormous challenges.

Overall textile exports from Pakistan mainly consisted of 70% cotton and 30% man-made fiber (synthetic fiber) exports.

Some experts are saying to increase the share of other synthetic fibers to boost the exports and tackle the problems with the increasing cotton prices.

Synthetic fibers are made from synthetic chemicals (known as polymers) derived from petrochemicals (i.

e. crude oil), making the fashion industry a vital consumer of fossil fuel. Clothing that contains synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon contributes to microplastic pollution, which can end up in the ocean and the seafood that humans eat.

Although these synthetic fibers might be less expensive than natural fibers and easier to produce in large quantities, they still pose health risks to consumers. With enhanced awareness about the environment, a better option will be to increase the local cotton production to reduce the prices at the ease of doing business instead of switching to synthetic fibers. The government should support the farmers and textile sector in this regard.