Interviews
Highest cotton production achieved with local seeds – Mr Rabbani
12 May '09
2 min read
Once again, Pakistan has missed the target for cotton production in the just completed cotton season 2008-09 by a margin of 2.8 million bales (1 bale = 170 kg) against the set target of 14.1 million bales set by the government, last November.
During the previous cotton season 2007-08 too, the cotton crop could touch only 11.7 million bales against the then set target of 14.1 million bales. During the 2008-09 season, the government had revised the target to 12.5 million bales, but even that was not achieved.
Fibre2fashion spoke to Mr. Ghulam Rabbani, Director at Karachi Cotton Association, who said, “Yes here we regretfully set unrealistic targets and then with our regular non professional behavior pushed it into dark and made it impossible to achieve”.
He continued, “Every one here always is talking about Bt cotton seeds, but without any concrete information, though up to now we have not imported any licensed Bt cotton seed, and all that is available in the markets is pirated”.
He explained, “In 2004-05, we have achieved a highest target of crop size in our history of approx 14.5 million bales with our domestic grown seeds and later on we refused to invest in the same but started up loudly speak in favor of BT and other seeds”.
“In very next year, i.e. 2005-06, production of cotton fell to 12.7 million bales and then in 2006-07, we slid further down to 12.4 million bales, in 2007-08 it was 11.37 million bales and in current year we produced 11.32 million bales instead of the target of 14.1 million bales”, he vehemently said.
He said, “Country needs approx 14.5 to 15 million bales every year while our domestic production stands around 11 million bales and every year our spinning sector needs to import 2.5 to 3 million bales which costs US $1 billion”.
With his rich experience, he tendered advice by saying, “I suggest for investments to be made in local seeds and request scientists to produce new variety of cotton seeds with a very low investment instead of running after foreign seed companies”.
During the previous cotton season 2007-08 too, the cotton crop could touch only 11.7 million bales against the then set target of 14.1 million bales. During the 2008-09 season, the government had revised the target to 12.5 million bales, but even that was not achieved.
Fibre2fashion spoke to Mr. Ghulam Rabbani, Director at Karachi Cotton Association, who said, “Yes here we regretfully set unrealistic targets and then with our regular non professional behavior pushed it into dark and made it impossible to achieve”.
He continued, “Every one here always is talking about Bt cotton seeds, but without any concrete information, though up to now we have not imported any licensed Bt cotton seed, and all that is available in the markets is pirated”.
He explained, “In 2004-05, we have achieved a highest target of crop size in our history of approx 14.5 million bales with our domestic grown seeds and later on we refused to invest in the same but started up loudly speak in favor of BT and other seeds”.
“In very next year, i.e. 2005-06, production of cotton fell to 12.7 million bales and then in 2006-07, we slid further down to 12.4 million bales, in 2007-08 it was 11.37 million bales and in current year we produced 11.32 million bales instead of the target of 14.1 million bales”, he vehemently said.
He said, “Country needs approx 14.5 to 15 million bales every year while our domestic production stands around 11 million bales and every year our spinning sector needs to import 2.5 to 3 million bales which costs US $1 billion”.
With his rich experience, he tendered advice by saying, “I suggest for investments to be made in local seeds and request scientists to produce new variety of cotton seeds with a very low investment instead of running after foreign seed companies”.
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