Pakistan Cotton Pakistan floods: Exporters pine for Indian cotton to meet demands
Islamabad: The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association has approached the federal government to allow the import of cotton from India via Wagah to meet the rising export orders as the country's cotton belt remains badly hit due to monsoon rains and floods.
Exporters told Dawn News early estimates show that 25 per cent of the standing cotton crop had been damaged and there was a possibility of a raw material shortage in the country.
Separately, in the wake of flood losses suffered by cotton harvest in Sindh and Punjab, the federal government on Wednesday formed a committee that will negotiate with seed companies and facilitate them to introduce state-of-the-art cotton seeds in the local market.
The decision was taken during a meeting at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to consult with stakeholders and review proposals for the enhancement of yield and area of cotton crops.
“We have approached Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to look into one of our demands,” Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) Patron in Chief Khurram Mukhtar told Dawn on Wednesday.
He said actual calculations of cotton demand would be made after September 15.
“We might need to import 2.5 million bales from India,” he said, adding that seemed to be the only viable option with lower logistics costs.
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