KARACHI, Oct 4: The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) will register ginning factories in five cotton producing districts of the country for procurement of higher grade clean cotton during 2002-03 season.

Director TCP Abdul Malik said here on Friday that ginners from these districts — Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur, Ghotki, Sanghar and Nasirabad — have been invited to contact TCP for registration.

He said this decision has been taken in line with the government’s policy for improving the quality of ginning and production of clean cotton in the country.

He said the corporation has decided to procure high quality clean cotton during this season from the registered ginning factories.

Malik said that the TCP has also requested Sindh government to impose ban on the use of jute bag for packing raw cotton, but no intimation has been received so far.

“It is essential for procuring clean and contamination-free cotton. If growers stop packing cotton in jute bags, the level of contamination will be reduced to a greater extent”, he observed.

It may be pointed out that Punjab had long ago imposed ban on the use of jute bag for packing cotton.

He said Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) will be requested to post its classers at TCP’s procurement centres to examine the quality of cotton.

He pointed out that the TCP has already issued tender for the purchase of micronaire machines for examining the presence of air and other material in the cotton at the time of procurement.

Presently, TCP is using PCSI facility to examine quality of cotton.

Talking of the requirements for registration, Malik said that ginning factories should have a valid licence from Agriculture Department for operating ginning factory.

In addition, the factory should have sufficient cemented platforms for drying phutti and picking of contamination material and pre-cleaners for phutti.

The factory should also have new gin saws, fully automated press and ginning stand in good operation condition, beside having latest PCSI grade boxes for phutti and lint.

Malik said that ginning factories will give an undertaking that they will not allow phutti in jute, hessian and polypropylene bags or in open trolleys inside their premises.—APP