By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: To increase cotton production to 19.10 million bales in the next five years, the government with the assistance of the US is planning “Cotton Production Enhancement Programme”, sources told Daily Times on Saturday.
To meet the goals of future cotton requirements of Pakistan, the aims of the project have been focused on the enhancement of cotton productivity by 30-40 percent over benchmark level through integration and strengthening of transgenic cotton research and development activities among various research institutions working at national and international level.
The sources further said that the scheme was in line with overall objectives of Medium Term Millennium Development Framework (MTDF) of agriculture sector for farm productivity ensuring sustainable food, fibre security and economic uplift of farmers and improving economy of the country.
The proposed project would be located in Islamabad and cotton R&D institutions would be located in all four provinces. Proposal of the project has been forwarded to the US embassy for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (USAID / Kery Lugsar grant) under conditions for no fresh recruitment, no heavy purchases, no civil work etc.
The project would be focused on developing comprehensive cotton production technology for small and medium holdings farmers and mobilise farmers through efficient extension services to adopt modern and cost-effective production technologies to increase cotton production.
The project will also develop a sustainable future mechanism for cotton research backstops and development activities for enhancing cotton productivity per unit land area. Moreover, it will strengthen and provide state-of-the-art and modern research and development facilities to various cotton research institutions at federal and provincial level.
The scheme would enable the government to collect, maintenance and multiplication of cotton germplasm for widening the genetic base of cotton germplasm. The project would also be focused on development of elite cotton varieties through conventional (intra-and inter-specific) breeding programmes and hybrids with tolerance/resistance to Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) disease.
The sources further claimed that cotton crop occupies a unique position in Pakistan as it accounts for 8.2 percent of the value added in agriculture and about 2 percent to GDP. It was realised that an increment of one million bales in cotton production in turn translates into half a percent increase in GDP. As such, this cash crop was believed to be the lifeline of the national economy. It contributes more than 60 percent in the foreign exchange earnings. As a matter of fact, cotton has invariably been important for economic growth and development in the country.
About history of cotton, the sources said in 1947 the country was producing merely 1.1 million bales of cotton and only two textile mills were in operation. Over the years, there had been visible improvement in cotton production and the country is now also producing long staple cotton of 1-1/8” and even longer, whereas in the early years the bulk production was of 1” staple or less. The area under cotton has increased considerably to over 3 million hectares and cotton production increased manifolds and fulfilled the raw material demand of expanding textile industry.
The growing demand for cotton by the domestic textile industry requires concerted efforts to enhance the cotton production in the country. Due to changes in cropping patterns, climatic factors, new diseases and pest spectrum such as cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV), Mealybug etc. and introduction of transgenic technologies for cotton varieties, the research backstopping and technology transfer efforts with a an effective policy have become imperative for the future demands of cotton in the country.
Over the past several years, global warming and unbalancing natural ecosystem and urbanization has changed the scenario of insects in cotton growing areas. In the scientific world, much advances have been made in the various disciplines of research and development. The advent of emerging sciences especially biotechnology and genetic
engineering have paved the way to solve certain intricate problems related to improvement in genetic resources coupled with crop productivity. The development of transgenic cotton (commonly known as Bt cotton) developed through genetic engineering has changed the cotton production scenario across the world.
Australia, South Africa, and the USA planted more than 90 percent of total cotton area to biotech varieties in 2009-10. China (Mainland) and India planted more than two-third of their cotton area to biotech varieties. In India for instance, the cotton production has jumped from 14 million bales in 2002 to 32 million bales in 2008 with substantial increase in yield from 313 kg to 579 kg per hectare. Since 1992, 22 developed and developing countries have started harnessing the immense potential of biotechnology for plant improvement. Markedly higher yields of cotton, soybean, canola and corn have been achieved, which have a source of additional income at the household and national levels.
The development of transgenic cotton having its inherent capacity to offset the vagaries of insect pests has resulted in reduction of input costs. Under the present ecosystem, the crop is prone to a number of insect pests. To control the pest attack, the cost of plant protection accounts for more than 30 percent of the total input cost. This calls for urgent need for development of transgenic cotton varieties through conventional breeding programme to reduce the plant protection cost.
That will save billions of rupees in the exchequer for import of pesticides. This will not only reduce the cost of production, environmental pollution but it will result in higher profitability for the farmers.
