LAHORE: The cotton crop is facing significant challenges due to severe water shortages in dams and the unavailability of certified seeds.
This situation has cast doubts on the prospects of the new crop, causing a slowdown in the cotton trade.
Farmers’ organisations are calling for the government to prioritise water supply to existing cultivated lands to stabilise the agricultural economy instead of focusing on developing new lands.
The country’s two major dams have almost run out of water, leading to a shortage of canal water in several districts of Sindh, including Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Matiari and Badin.
Mangla Dam hit the dead level of 1,050ft on March 15, while the Tarbela was only a foot above the dead level of 1,402ft on March 18.
Urge govt to lower germination rate standard for certified seeds
This water scarcity is expected to delay the arrival of the new cotton crop, potentially causing a surge in domestic cotton prices.
Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq has said that advance cotton trade deals, which had started briskly about two weeks ago, were now facing delays. Approximately 40 trucks loaded with cotton were traded at a rate of Rs8,400 and Rs9,000 per 40 kg for delivery between May 10 and June 10, mostly in the Digri area of Mirpur Khas district.
However, there were now concerns that these deals might not be honoured within the agreed timelines, halting new cotton crop trading in Sindh.
Furthermore, adverse weather conditions across the country have significantly affected the germination rate of cotton seeds, which has dropped to 40 to 50 per cent. This was far below the required 75pc for certified seeds.
As a result, farmers were now using non-certified seeds, raising concerns about reduced cotton yield per acre.
Mian Umair Masood, the general secretary of Kissan Ittehad, has urged the federal government to lower the germination rate standard for certified cotton seeds to 50pc for one year to encourage farmers to use certified seeds.
The recommendations of committees formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this month to boost cotton cultivation, including the abolition of the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) and reduction in electricity tariffs for textile exporters, have yet to be implemented.
The EFS, which allows the import of tax-free cotton and cotton yarn, has severely impacted the domestic textile (spinning) and cotton ginning sectors. Experts fear that more spinning mills and ginning factories may become inactive during 2025-26 if the anomaly is not addressed.
Additionally, the import of cotton and cotton yarn under the EFS has led to significant foreign exchange expenditure, and a decrease in cotton cultivation could result in increased edible oil imports and further revenue loss for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
On the other hand, agriculture authorities in Punjab were actively promoting early cotton sowing in the province.
Recently, a review meeting chaired by Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo was held on this issue. The meeting was briefed on the progress of early cotton sowing on one million acres. Financial assistance worth Rs25,000 is being offered to the growers who complete early cotton sowing on five acres or more by March 31.
Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025
