MULTAN, Feb Ist:Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) has highly appreciated the role of Plant Protection Department(PPD) of ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFSR)for blockage of cotton import through Wahga,Torkham,and Chaman borders.PCGA leaders Haji Muhammad Akram (Chairman),Shehzad Ali Khan, Malik Talat Suhail,(Former Chairmen), Suhail Mehmood Haral, Sheikh Muhammad Aasim Saeed, and Rao Sadaruddin (Ex-Vice Chairmen) said while talking to media men that Government should strictly observe the imported cotton at seaport and it should not let off-loading of contaminated and disease infected varieties.They said that Pro-APTMA policies of present Government at the cost of agriculture sector were not acceptable to ginners as well as growers. They alleged that Ministry of Textile was protecting the interest of Textile millers only and it was treating farmers and ginners as second grade people.They said that India has been a major beneficiary of duty-free import of cotton yarn by Pakistan for about four years, which has badly hit the domestic industry and agricultural sector of the country under a well planned conspiracy. He said that there would be a huge loss of cash crop if the farmers adopted other crops. He said that the exemption from customs duty, regularly duty and sales tax may hit the domestic industry hard as it drove down demand for local cotton and pushed lower prices paid to farmers. The increase in imports mainly came from India that was providing huge subsidies in the form of duty drawback, interest rate concessions and infrastructure schemes for its cotton industry.Under these circumstance, import of cotton would be tantamount to slaughtering the growers and ginners who heave a sigh of relief after increasing the prices of cotton to reasonable level. The cotton ginning industry has fiercely opposed duty-free import of Indian cotton, saying it will have destructive effects on Pakistan’s economy. They revealed that more than 1.164 million bales of cotton were lying unsold in ginning factories. Another 10 to 15 percent bales are expected next month and total production is expected to be 12.6 million bales. They saw no justification for withdrawal of tax and customs duty on cotton import from India at the cost of Pakistan’s farmers, arguing fibre import via land or sea was not in the interest of national economy. If such imports continued without any curbs, they believed, such measures would harm cotton production in the country in the next season. Last year, cotton harvest had dropped 30% and if appropriate measures were not taken, the situation could deteriorate further and affect local output. He was of the view that the production cost was higher than the prices farmers were receiving for their harvest. They reiterated their demand for imposition of sales tax, customs duty and regulatory duty on the import of cotton from India or anyother country till the disposal of stock lying with the ginners.
