LAHORE: Repre­sen­tatives from the cotton industry have called on the federal government to urgently finalise Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) ag­­reements with major cotton-exporting countries, emphasising that the rev­ival of the country’s cotton crop depends on tim­ely access to advanced, high-yield seed varieties.

Shahzad Ali Malik, the founding chairman of the Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA), believes that while the government’s recent decision to lift restrictions on cotton seed imports is a positive development, Pakistan will not reap significant benefits unless the PRA arrangements between the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and international plant protection organisations are finalised promptly.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Malik notes that the DPP has begun PRA formalities with Ethiopia, but says this lone effort does not come close to meeting national requirements. He urges the government to expedite agreements with the world’s principal cotton producers, inclu­ding China, Austra­lia, Brazil, Turkiye, Mexico, Sy­­ria, Kyrgyzstan, Bulga­ria, Azerbaijan and the United States. to enab­­le seed importers to sou­rce diverse and superior germplasm. Without these deals, he warns, Pakistan will remain cut off from cutting-edge varieties capable of substantially improving yields.

While the removal of the import ban marks progress, Malik stresses that the slow pace of PRA finalisation risks becoming the most serious barrier to seed imports. In a formal communication to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the PHHSA cautioned that even after PRA signing, Pakistan’s lengthy variety approval regime could delay the release of new seed technologies well into the next decade.

According to the association’s letter, non-GMO seeds or GMO varieties carrying a previously approved gene require a five-year approval cycle. In contrast, varieties with a new gene or event must undergo seven years of testing.

Under the current framework, any new high-yielding cotton seed introduced today would not reach farms until at least 2030 or 2031.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025