April 05, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 27, 1429

KARACHI, April 4: The All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has stated that due to challenges facing the textile industry, a huge transformation process needs to be initiated at all levels of the industry.

“With the globalisation process, severe crisis has begun to take place and one of main causes is emergence of new low-cost textile producers who are benefiting with their country’s low-cost structure and opening of global markets,” said Aptma chairman Iqbal Ebrahim in a statement.

The Aptma chairman said to curb import, increase dependency on local cotton, “we need to adopt better managed cotton by latest technology in seed breeding to produce hybrid seeds, particularly Bt seed varieties.”

Immediate arrangements be made to replace present poor quality deteriorated seed by new and promising varieties of seed, he said.

“An arrangement needs to be finalised on a war-footing to introduce culture of Bt cotton seed in Pakistan with target to increase cotton production up to 20 million bales in three to five years.

“All ginning units be updated, modernised to improve quality, standardise ginning system. Cotton standardisation should be introduced immediately at ginning stage to improve lint quality to international standards,” the Aptma chief said.

Pakistan, he said, is passing through a most difficult phase of its history due to energy crisis. In the last few years, textile exporters faced serious power crisis, causing million of rupees loss every year.—PPI