MULTAN, Aug 25: National Assembly former speaker Syed Fakhar Imam has urged the government to keep the Trading Corporation of Pakistan at "high alert" so that cotton prices could not fall below the officially-announced minimum procurement price of Rs925 per 40 kilograms.

He told Dawn on Wednesday that though the prospects of the current crop were satisfactory at present, the coming couple of weeks would be crucial as far as pest attack was concerned.

He reminded that last year the pressure of American and Army Bollworms had intensified during the same period and the phenomenon had ultimately ruined the prospects of picking a bumper cotton crop. The government should ensure availability of standard pesticides at affordable prices to the growers, he added.

Mr Imam said the growers had to face a no-win situation as they were found suffering losses in any case either due to low per acre yield against high cost of production or price depression due to the surplus production of a commodity against its demand.

He said the timely intervention of the TCP would deter the forces of exploitation from artificially depressing the cotton prices in the backdrop of low prices of the silver fibre in the international market this year as against the upward trend of last year.

He criticized the government for what he said its lack of interest to put in place the international cotton standards in the country. He said although the federal government had issued the Cotton Standardization Ordinance in 2002, the provinces had yet to implement it in letter and spirit.

He said following the international cotton standards it had become imperative to market the local cotton at the international prices in the world market. "Exportability of the country's cotton can only ensure equitable returns to the growers in the long run," he added.