World Cotton Day: Challenges for Pakistan’s cotton industry

Dr. Muhammad Qasim Siddiqui

The World Trade Organization (WTO) in collaboration with United Nations (UN) celebrates the World Cotton Day (WCD). Cotton is the most widespread profitable non-food crop in the world which provides income for more than 250 million people worldwide across 75 countries. Today, the world is using more cotton fiber than any other natural textile fibers specially in apparel and home textiles. Despite the fact of being expensive, cotton remain preferred in many minds due to its natural and comfort properties.

Devastated by recent rains and floods, cotton producing belt in Sindh and southern Punjab, the production is forecast down 700,000 bales to 5.5 million bales (1 bale = 218 kg), the second lowest production level in nearly 40 years. World cotton production is forecast at 118 million bales for 2022/23 (USDA cotton outlook September 2022). Globally, cotton has been grown on around 33 million hectares, with an average yield of 793 Kilograms/hectare.

In year 2021, with the production of 7 million bales (218 kg/ bale), Pakistan has inherent advantage of being 5th largest producer of cotton fiber after India, China, USA and Brazil. China is the largest cotton importers followed by Vietnam and Bangladesh. Pakistan spinning mill consumes/ demands more than 10 million bales. The yield of cotton in Pakistan is around 600 kg/hectare, while China and Brazil produce per hectare yield above 1500kg. This difference in yield underpins fatal negligence as a nation.

Every single part of cotton plant has its own value; clean cotton fiber lint is the most important segment used to produce home textiles and apparels. Linter, the short fuzz on cotton seed is source of pure cellulose for many products, like plastics and papers. Finally, the remaining cotton seed has to be crushed and separated into three items, that are oil, meal and hulls. These sub products are used as livestock feed, that makes cotton crop overall a cash crop.

In Pakistan,1.3 million farmers cultivate cotton on around 2 million hectares, 17 % decreased over last year, covering 15 per cent of the cultivable area in the country (Economic survey of Pakistan 2020-21). More than 10 million peoples are employed in cotton production and processing industries. Cotton and cotton products contribute about 10 per cent to GDP and 55 per cent to the foreign exchange earnings of the country. Taken as a whole, between 30 and 40 per cent of the cotton ends up as domestic consumption of final products. The remaining is exported as raw cotton, yarn, cloth, home textiles and garments. As per economic survey of Pakistan 2020-21, total exports of cotton and cotton made textile products were at record more than 15 billion USD.

The country’s last bumper cotton crop of 14.9 million bales were harvested in 2013-14. The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) has revised cotton production estimates to 8.46 million bales of 170 kg each for this season (2021-2022). Decrease in production of cotton crop also caused decline in cotton ginning by 12.7 percent. International Cotton Advisory committee USA in its study showed that production cost of cotton in Pakistan is higher than India and Argentina.

In Pakistan, the cotton farms (half are smaller than 2 hectares) competing in almost classic competition, a vast majority operated as family farms by owners/ cultivators with limited literacy or access to technology. With the rise of new concerns, especially those pertaining to environmental and social conditions the competition is getting furious. Cotton plants are susceptible to a large variety of pests and diseases that can cause stunted growth, poor color, lower yields, or even death. Pesticide use in cotton alone is valued at US$ 2 to 3 billion annually, which is one quarter of the total insecticide consumption in the world. It has become a significant proportion of production costs.

Water use and common tilling practices effect water quality adversely, and lead to water scarcity, soil erosion, and waterlogging and salinity. Chemical fertilizers cause soil and water contamination, and affect soil fertility. Some chemical dyes and chlorinates used in the processing stage have carcinogenic effects; others have adverse consequences for human health and water quality if discharged without proper treatment.

Better cotton crop can be achieved from improving per hectare yield, reducing the risk of cotton curl virus and introducing long staple length verities. To achieve better crop output, we have to focus on optimized farming system, transformative technology along with protection from biotic threats and environmental stresses. The advent of new production technologies and better management practices has given rise to an almost 100% in-crease in average global yields over 30 years, up from 411 kg/ha in 1980/81 to790 kg/ha of cotton lint.

In fact, the significance of the cotton sector far exceeds its contribution to GDP or exports. The rate of economic growth is dependent quite closely on the fate of the cotton crop. Cotton fiber has been fed as local raw material for the textile industry of Pakistan which is the largest contributor in the country’s exports. The textile supply chain consists of ten industrial subsectors starting from cotton picking to finish garment, all of these are directly related with the quantity and quality of indigenous cotton crop. This immense advantage needs to be converted into a sustainable competitive growth coupled with the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan.

Author is an international expert in Cotton Quality from ICA Bremen GmbH Germany, currently working as, Associate Professor, Department of Textile Engineering, BUITEMS, Quetta.