KARACHI, Aug 16: The government will set up five fibre testing laboratories along with high volume instruments (HVI) for the evaluation of cotton. This was stated by Federal Secretary, ministry of food, agriculture and livestock, M. Ismail Qureshi, on Monday at a meeting of the board of directors of the Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute.

In the first phase, two laboratories will be set up this year for which an allocation of Rs20 million had been made in the PSDP for 2004-05. All this was being done to provide facilities to the stakeholders, he added.

The board also discussed the implementation status of the cotton grading and classification system and the possible role of private sector stakeholders in ensuring the qualitative improvement in cotton.

The secretary stressing upon producing high quality and contamination-free cotton, reiterated the government's intention to closely and actively associated the private sector in all such endeavours. Besides, he said a network of private inspection companies would be encouraged.

The provincial governments were advised to expedite the necessary amendments in the Cotton Control Act in order to implement the cotton grading system at the grass-roots level.

The board deliberating upon the administrative and financial matters of the Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute, observed that it had to play an important role in introducing and implementing the cotton standardization and grading system in the country and, therefore, further develop the proficiency in that discipline.

Mr Qureshi referring to the recent meeting of the WTO held in Geneva, advised all the stakeholders to meet obligations on their part in order to realize the maximum benefits from the forthcoming withdrawal of quotas in textiles and the subsidy in agriculture.