Major Issues and Developments in Pakistan Cotton
March 17, 2010 At the 68th Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, held in September 2009, the Pakistani delegation reported on the following major issues and developments in Pakistan cotton.
1 Lower Yield per Hectare
Although Pakistan is the fourth largest producer of raw cotton in the world, it still lags behind in productivity per unit when compared with the per hectare yields being realized in some other major cotton growing countries, such as Australia, China, Greece, Turkey and Syria. Our national average yield is almost stagnant due to implications of the vagaries of weather, the absence of virus-resistant varieties, the emergence of new insect pests such as mealy bug and the limited adoption of scientific cultivation methods.
Cotton research and development-related organizations are therefore concentrating on developing practical solutions to raise the yield level, particularly on small farms. The Pakistan government’s “Cotton Vision” aims to enhance the average yield level to at least 1,060 kilograms per hectare by 2015, or earlier.
2 Bt Cotton
In Pakistan, there is a general view in favor of Bt cotton cultivation, but through formal means. Cotton growers in the country have been persistently demanding the availability of formally approved Bt cotton varieties for improving their per hectare yield. In response, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has been working on a two-pronged strategy: first, developing the technology through indigenous capabilities and second, inviting multi-national companies to bring the technology into the country.
Pakistan’s Centre of Excellence for Molecular Biology has reportedly developed the technology and transferred the gene into already approved varieties. These varieties must be be cleared by the Ministry of Environment after assessing the results of the on-going field trials.
The Pakistan government is working on introducing Bt cotton varieties in the country on a fast-track basis. A letter of intent and memorandum of understanding have been signed with Monsanto Company for introduction of its latest technology (Bollgard II) in the country to maximize cotton production. The National Biosafety Committee of the Ministry of Environment has also authorized bio-safety clearance to eight cotton varieties with the Bollgard I trait.
3 Cotton Leaf Curl Virus
The cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) disease seriously damaged the Pakistani cotton crop in the mid-1990s after it had attained a peak cotton production of 12.8 million bales in 1991-92. Researchers, however, managed the disease by providing CLCV-tolerant varieties and improved management strategies. As a result, cotton production was sustained at an average of 10 million bales in that critical period. The country produced a record crop of 14.3 million bales in 2004-05, but CLCV threat still exists. Therefore, the research on evolving CLCV-resistant cotton varieties is given high priority and a success in due course of time is expected at the Central Cotton Research Institute in Multan.
4 Research on Mealy Bug Control
The new erupting insect commonly known as cotton mealy bug was first detected in Pakistan in 2005. It is highly polyphagous and is a severe threat to Pakistan agriculture. Since 2007, it has been regarded as one of the major causes of declining cotton production and has now spread throughout most of Pakistan.
A two-pronged approach is being used for biological control of this exotic pest. First, techniques are being developed for conservation and augmentation of the existing endemic natural enemy fauna of this pest. Second, exotic natural enemies of the pest from its origin are being imported for release on Pakistani farmers’ fields.
Thirteen species of predators and a newly discovered parasitoid have also been recorded against cotton mealy bug. The parasitoid (now identified as Aenasius sp. Nov. nr. Longiscapus Compere) attacks scattered individuals as well as big colonies of the mealy bug and kills the host before reaching to maturity.
Several pesticides have been recommended to farmers to control mealy bug and studies are in progress for developing genetically modified cotton which would be tolerant/resistant to mealy bug.
5 Cotton in New Areas
In view of new potential areas for cotton production in the provinces of Balochistan and NWFP, the government has been providing support to the provincial governments by supplementing their seed requirements and providing technical support. It is expected, however, that due to the establishment of sugar mills in the D.I. Khan District of NWFP, cotton cultivation in that particular area may not expand on a larger acreage. Hence, new suitable areas for cotton cultivation in NWFP have been explored, such as Lukki Marwat, Bannu and Karak.
Organic cotton production is yet another important area being encouraged, particularly in the province of Balochistan. Measures are now being taken to provide appropriate varieties and technology to growers.
6 Quality of Cotton
In view of the significance of the cotton and textile sector in the national economy, there has been increasing emphasis on quality control and the production of contamination-free cotton. This will enable the textile industry to expand the marketing base for Pakistani products and realize their intrinsic value in the international market. The government has already taken several measures to introduce and implement a cotton standardization and grading system in the country, as well as measures to overcome cotton contamination.
In order to ensure a premium price to the growers and ginners for production-quality cotton, the Ministry of Textile Industry launched clean cotton production programs in selected factories under the monitoring of the Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) and in collaboration with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and provincial agriculture departments.
The Ministry of Textile Industry is also working to implement the cotton standardization and grading system at the grassroots level. The PCSI, an attached department of the Ministry of Textile Industry, has promoted the instrumental evaluation of cotton fiber and has established ten fiber testing labs in the major cotton growing districts, each equipped with a High Volume Instrument (HVI). The private sector has also developed a network of HVI-equipped laboratories to facilitate the process with stakeholders and a number of textile mills have equipped themselves with HVI testing as well.
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