MINFAL announced the Cotton production target for 2008-09 season

The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) in their meeting announced their national targets for cotton sowing at 3.2 million hectares and cotton production at 14.11 million 170-kg bales in 2008-2009 seasons. This is the fourth time that cotton production target has been set around 14.11 million bales, but in the last three seasons, production targets have been missed by wide margins.

The weak ground realities such as shortage of irrigation water and poor quality/mealy bug infested seeds and the resultant four to six weeks delay in cotton sowing in lower Sindh area indicate fears of a poor crop even lower than 10 million bales.

On the basis of last three seasons’ report, the fears of attack of Mealy Bug on new crop appear even stronger as the seed available for sowing has poor immunity and the plants may easily be affected by adverse weather conditions and can be attacked by diseases and pests.

Against this, India, for the last four seasons, has been producing record high cotton crop year on year and has increased its yield from kgs 301 per hectare in 2002-2003 to kgs 540 per hectare in 2007-2008 and production from 13.6 million 170-kg bales in 2003-04 to 31.0 million 170-kg bales in 2007-08. The prime reason for this increase in productivity and production is the adoption of GMO technology introducing BT cottonseeds.

On the other hand Pakistan also introduced BT cottonseed but not its own, but smuggled and degenerated seed, which heavily damaged our cotton crops.

India has increased its production to such a level that after meeting its domestic requirements of cotton, the country has emerged as the second largest exporter of cotton after US and this season exportable surplus is estimated around 6.5 million 170-kg bales. China increased its cotton crop from 22.3 million 480-lb bales in 2003-04 to 33.5 million 480-lb bales in 2007-08 season.