Cotton

Cotton is a natural fiber that finds use in many products. These range from clothing to home furnishings to medical products. As a result, cotton is always in demand though its use is subject to the strengths and weaknesses of the overall economy. It accounts for 8.2 percent of the value added in agriculture and about 2 percent to GDP. The Role of Cotton in Pakistan

Pakistan is the fifth largest producer of cotton in the world, the third largest exporter of raw cotton, the fourth largest consumer of cotton, and the largest exporter of cotton yarn. 1.3 million farmers (out of a total of 5 million) cultivate cotton over 3 million hectares, covering 15 per cent of the cultivable area in the country. Cotton and cotton products contribute about 10 per cent to GDP and 55 per cent to the foreign exchange earnings of the country. Taken as a whole, between 30 and 40 per cent of the cotton ends up as domestic consumption of final products. The remaining is exported as raw cotton, yarn, cloth, and garments.

Cotton production supports Pakistan s largest industrial sector, comprising some 400 textile mills, 7 million spindles, 27,000 looms in the mill sector (including 15,000 shuttleless looms), over 250,000 looms in the non-mill sector, 700 knitwear units, 4,000 garment units (with 200,000 sewing machines), 650 dyeing and finishing units (with finishing capacity of 1,150 million square meters per year), nearly 1,000 ginneries, 300 oil expellers, and 15,000 to 20,000 indigenous, small scale oil expellers (kohlus). It is by any measure Pakistan s most important economic sector. Not surprisingly, government policy has generally been used to maintain a stable and often relatively low domestic price of cotton, especially since 1986-87 through the imposition of export duties, in order to support domestic industry. Trends And Descriptions (Cotton)

Cotton is an oil crop, though grown mainly for its fiber. The fiber consists of long, fine, flattened and convoluted hairs called lint , which can be detached easily from the seed. The value and quality of the cotton variety depends on the fineness of the fiber as well as its length. The longer and finer the staple the better its quality, since it can be used to produce thinner and lighter textiles without knots or uneven surfaces. A single fiber is a little less in diameter than a human hair, and is measured in micronaires. Five different staple lengths are distinguished: short (less than 21 mm), medium (21-25

mm), medium long (26-28 mm), long (28-34 mm), and extra long (more than 35 mm). The majority of the world production (about 60 per cent) consists of medium long staple. Medium staple is around 18 per cent, and short staple a mere 3 per cent, produced almost exclusively in South Asia. Longer staple lengths (long and extra long), comprise around 18 per cent of the world production of cotton (during 1977-78 to 1981-82), and can only be grown in more or less ideal conditions regarding soil, water, temperature, and light.13 Slightly more than half of the increase in total output is accounted for by yield expansion. Yield trends can be divided into five different phases.

1950s Constant yields: In the 1950s, yields remained more or less constant for the entire decade, from 1949-50 to 1959-60, at around 200 kilogram per hectare.

1960s steady growth: the first spurt of growth took place in the 1960s, when yields rose steadily from 200 to 300 kilograms per hectare in 1970-71, and to 361 kilograms in 1971-72.

1970s The first cotton crisis: A severe and persistent attack of the American bollworm devastated the crop during the 1970s, resulting in wildly fluctuating yields between a high of 377 and a low of 233 kilograms, re-attaining the 1971-72 figure only in 1979-82.

1980s Rapid growth: The 1980s saw a dramatic growth in yields, from 364 kilograms per hectare in 1982-83 to 769 kilograms in 1991-92. This was also a period when the major expansion in pesticide use took place.

1990s The second cotton crisis: Repeating the experience of 20 years earlier, the peak achieved in 1991-92 was followed by another severe and persistent pest attack, this time of the leaf curl virus and its disease vector, the whitefly. Yields dropped dramatically from 769 to between 500 and 600 kilograms per hectare. Cotton Export(Goods)

COTTON BAGS Pakistan's Cotton bags are made of 100% cotton cloths in different sizes. The products include shopping hags in grey, bleached, dyed and hand screen printed with pigment colours according to the buyer's requirements for advertising and promotional activities of their products. Prints are made for prolonged colour fastness. Kit bags made of canvas cloths in different weight per sq. meter also made for sports, camping purposes, requirements of armed forces, schools, industrial, agricultural and miscellaneous commercial needs.

COTTON FABRICS Cotton and Cotton products occupy a pivotal position in the economy of Pakistan. Pakistani Weaving industry has been producing sophisticated quality fabrics in line with the latest overseas demand. Made of superior Cotton, the textile fabrics of Pakistan are distinguished for their quality, texture, lustrous colour and rich combination of superior designs and competitive prices.

Pakistan's Textile industry enjoys several advantages over many other countries as far as the production of quality fabric is concerned, which include availability of high-grade locally produced raw cotton and abundance of trained manpower.

COTTON YARN Pakistan's cotton is regarded as the best among varieties of cottons of similar staples grown elsewhere in the world. Pakistan's cotton industry enjoys several advantages over those of many other counties as far as the production of quality fabrics and yam is concerned and is a world leader in the export of cotton yarn. including coarse, medium and fine varieties. Pakistan's leading buyers are Japan, Republic Of Korea and Hong Kong.

GARMENTS READY MADE Pakistan produces garments readymade of all pattern and styles, of the latest fashions and quality. The industry is adequately equipped to produce latest fashions to suit tastes and needs in any pan of the world. The products also include utility items such as service uniforms, overalls, shirts, jeans, night suits, uniforms for school, workers in industrial concerns catering establishments, etc . Leading Pakistani designers;, garment manufacturers and exporters display their designs and products regularly round the

world in international fatrs and exhibitions and in trade centres like Paris, London, New York, Tokyo and Berlin, Two fashion fairs are also organized annually in Pakistan namely the Pakistan Textile and Clothing Fair, held in winter, and the Fashion Apparel Fair in summer. 3 Million cotton bales shortfall fears By NADEEM SHAH

MULTAN: The single crop country has again been facing a great threat of shortage of three million bales of Phuthi in the current Kharif crop season which is almost 30pc less from the targeted production mainly due to failure in combating with pest Mealy Bug and curl virus attacks, said growers.

The peasants of land of five rivers complained that they did not consult in policy making as the exact pesticide against Mealy Bug infestation was not available in the market or the alternates were available on very high rates due to lack of strong check.

The Vehari, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur is known to bumper crop production areas but the Mealy Bug has destroyed the crop in these areas while Mailsi remained fully damaged. The lions share of Punjab production mainly depends upon these districts but major portion of crop has destroyed there.

An experienced Multan based grower Siddique Akbar Bukhari predicted production not more then 11 million bales instead target of 14.2 million bales leaving shortage of 3 million bales. The experiment of Bt cotton sowing has failed in practice, which had almost covered 75pc of under cultivated area this year in result of poor research and planning. He said the pest Mealy Bug critically attacked the crop and the Punjab Directorate of Pest Warning and Quality Control figures claimed 43pc and 73pc CLCV attack on cotton varieties. Cotton growers from Mailsi, Sahiweal, Pakpattan, Liaquatpur, Jampur and Gojra complained bearing Rs 1500 additional expenses on each acre on purchasing pesticides on double rates due to severe Mealy Bug attack. Farm experts said the mealy bug has become a great threat to cash crop cotton after cotton leaf curl virus because it comes in 3-4 layers, and the insect lays eggs and hatches them in a natural basket attached to its body, he said. It multiplies rapidly as eggs are hatched in 6-10 hours. Why cotton is a problematic crop? By Muhammad Amjad Ali & Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Khan

COTTON, which is also known as white gold , is an important crop in many developing countries. The yield of the crop is dependent upon the environment in which it is grown and the management practices of the cropping system.

Cotton yields are stagnant for the last several years. Factors responsible for the stagnant cotton production include: excessive rain at the time of sowing, high temperature at flowering stage, late wheat harvesting resulting in decline of area under the crop, leaf curl virus incidence, soil system, weather adversaries, pest attack and improper production technology in major cotton growing areas of Punjab and Sindh. There are many social as well as economic problems facing cotton production including, illiterate farming community, high cost of inputs, small landholdings, less adoptability of innovations by the farmers, lack of guidance to farmers, high cost of production and insecurity in the market, the cost of production being the most significant among them.

In recent past two major factors had a significant impact on the economics of cotton production. They are extensive use of agrochemicals and yield stagnation. Among all agrochemicals, fertilisers and insecticides are of utmost importance. There are no efficient alternatives to synthetic fertilisers and cotton production has to bear the use of nutrient supplements in the form of inorganic fertilisers. Among pesticides, insecticides are group of agrochemicals which is extensively used on cotton.

Insects, being living organisms, have adjusted with the injurious chemicals and learned to survive with insecticides. Consequently, insecticide use kept increasing causing a serious impact on the economics of cotton production. Currently, there is a greater need for new developments in production research but more and more researchers are confronted with maintaining the current status of yields in their countries. The cost of production has increased to unacceptable levels in many countries that threaten the economics of cotton production. Cultural Problems: There are also many aspects which can affect fibre quality and yield. Agronomic practices affecting the yield include sowing time, low quality and adulterated seed, timing of harvest, irrigation, use of plant growth regulators, soil fertility, tillage, and cultivar selection. Pests: Cotton is a pest-loving plant and due to this habit it has become a problematic crop for the farmers. More than 1326 species of insects have been reported in commercial cotton fields worldwide but only small proportions are pests. Of the 30 pests of cultivated cotton the most important are the caterpillars of pink, spotted and American bollworms, aphids, whitefly, jassids, mealy bugs and the spider mite.

Diseases: Never has a single pathogen or insect pest threatened Pakistan's cotton culture, as has the cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV). In 1993-94, about 0.89 million hectares were badly damaged resulting about two million bales loss in production due to CLCuV. In economic term, the country had suffered a loss of about 7.6 million bales, which costs to the tune of Rs71 billion since 1988 due to the infestation of CLCuV. Yield decreased from1.938 million metric tons in 1991 to 1.445 million metric ton in 1992 and fell further to 1.105 million metric ton in 1993.

Recently, cotton leaf curl virus has again emerged as a key disease in the province of the Punjab in general and Burewala area in particular. The re-emergence of virus commonly called as Burewala Strain of Cotton Virus (BSCV) has dangerous version and could develop into a serious problem. Although the cotton plant is a sun-loving plant, an excessively higher temperature at reproductive phase (above 36oC) decreases its production significantly. According to an estimate, cotton plant sheds about 65 70 per cent of its fruiting points due to heat-induced sterility, spotted bollworm attack and increased humidity during monsoon. High temperature disrupts the movement of water, ion, and inorganic solutes across the plant membrane, which interferes with photosynthesis and respiration. Clearly, an increase in high temperature at the reproductive phase is the major factor of low productivity of cotton varieties grown in the cotton belt of Pakistan. There may be less availability of phosphorus (P) in a rapidly drying soil due to reduced P diffusion and poor uptake by roots. This may result in inadequate P nutrition for cotton plants.