PCGA offers help to Afghan cotton industry

18 Feb '14

2 min read

The Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA) has offered to help Afghanistan cotton industry in area of cotton sowing and ginning.

Aiming to help the Afghan cotton industry maximize its sowing area and upgrade its ginning industry, and to boost bilateral trade between the two countries, the PCGA has offered to supply certified and well germinated cotton seeds to Afghanistan.

The offer was made by PCGA Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch during a meeting with a visiting delegation of Afghan ginners.

Afghan delegation head Muhammad Abdullah Munib informed the meeting that there are 35 ginning factories in Afghanistan and cotton sowing is undertaken on an area of 7,000 acres, and there is still scope of increasing cotton output of the country.

He said most of the ginning factories in Afghanistan have Pakistani machinery, while some of them use Indian machines. However, he said in future they would prefer Pakistani machinery for upgradation of the ginning industry and would also try to benefit from research on cotton undertaken by Pakistan.

On cotton prices, Mr. Munib said prices in Afghanistan are not quite higher than in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) joint director Liaquat Ali Khan presented the delegation with an idea about grading and standardization of cotton.

The delegation also endorsed PCGA vice chairman Aasim Saeed Sheikh’s suggestion of establishing Pak-Afghan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PACGA).

Citing latest economic survey figures, Mr. Sheikh said Pakistan has witnessed a steady rise in cotton production from 713 kg per hectare in 2008-09 to 769 kg per hectare in 2012-13.

He said Pakistan would collaborate with Afghanistan on technology transfer.

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