ISLAMABAD - The European Union (EU) has launched a new project funded under its regional initiative Switch Asia for Pakistan for "Sustainable Cotton Production for Pakistan's Ginning SMEs" (SPRING).

The project is being implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan.

The project was started on March 30 this year in three regions of Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Sukkur.
In this regard WWF-P Sukkur arranged a four-week Cotton Selector Training Course with collaboration of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) for SA-Spring ginners (18 ginners) under Capacity building workshop on Cotton selection & grading for STEP-I ginners at SWITCH Asia-SPRING project office Sukkur.

The one month training was held in May at PCSI Sukkur.

Some 33 candidates successfully completed the training and out of them 18 candidates were sponsored by SA-Spring Sukkur to enabling them towards selection and grading of seed cotton as well as lint cotton.

Ludo Mal, local PCGA Representative and innovative ginner of Sukkur was chief guest at ceremony of certificate distribution among the successful candidates. He briefed the participants that PCGA is playing an important role in the cotton sector of Pakistan with its more than 1000 ginners in Pakistan.

He also appreciated efforts of WWF-P & PCSI regarding betterment of seed cotton & lint cotton quality in the field as well as at ginning level through its SA-SPRING project.

Hassan Jamal, Incharge PCSI Sukkur), Liaqat Ali Khan (Senior Project Coordinator, WWF-P Sukkur) and Toheed Ghani Mahesar (Project Coordinator, WWF-P Sukkur also shared views in their speeches. They highlighted importance of training and its benefits in professional life specially for ginners who attended the training.
They said the training will enable them to maintain their lint quality right from the start of procurement of seed cotton from field to lint.

The participants thanked WWF-P Sukkur team and PCSI Sukkur for the opportunity to participate in the training.