RAHIM YAR KHAN, Aug 25: The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has decided to suspend the clean cotton drive from this year. The PCGA, which took the decision during its general body meeting here a few days ago , says it has reasons to discontinue the campaign, which was launched two years ago as a pilot project from Rahim Yar Khan. Last year it was extended to Bahawalpur, Ghotki and Sanghar districts.

Talking to Dawn, PCGA president Haji Muhammad Ibrahim said first of all millers had failed to pay the premium, which was Rs200 per maund of cotton with zero-contamination and Rs75 per maund for little contamination.

Another reason was the supply of low quality phutti by farmers, Mr Ibrahim said and added the farmers used to pouring water in cotton while bringing it to the ginneries. When the phutti was put in the trolleys, the farmers poured water in it to increase its weight. A ginning factory needs 3,500 to 4,000 maund phutti daily.

"Earlier, we faced one to 1.5 kg of khot (loss in weight) per 40 kg phutti, but for the last two years its ratio has increased up to 3 to 4 kg due to extra moisture." The PCGA chief said the ginners could check the ratio of moisture in bags which was otherwise not possible if the cotton was brought in open trolleys, a requirement under the contamination-free drive.

The other reason was the presence of old shoes, toffee wrappers, pieces of wood, polythene bags and other waste materiel (in cotton brought on open trolleys), which was more harmful to the textile units.

He further said that jute contamination was now curable by new textile technology. "Open phutti could catch fire more easily and we face problems to get its insurance. Insurance companies ask us to calculate the loss which is not possible in open phutti but in jute bags we can calculate it.

We also bore much losses last year due to a decline in rates of cotton in the international market, which decreased to 44 cents from 82 cents in the New York cotton market. The rate of cotton in the local market also reduced to Rs2,200 from Rs3,600 per maund."

Another PCGA source said the government had failed to amend the Cotton Control Act in the light of the Cotton Standardization Ordinance of 2002. The amendment, he said, would have made it binding on the millers and the ginners to implement clean cotton drive.

Haji Ibrahim said the government should direct the Trading Corporation of Pakistan to purchase cotton so that the farmers could get better rates of phutti. He claimed that the crop was very good till now and 12 million cotton bales were expected this year.

Mr Ibrahim said that talks with Nepra on fixed power charges for ginning operating months had been finalized. "Nepra has taken the decision in our favour, but Wapda has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against it," he added.