MULTAN, May 12th: Government should take initiatives to save Cotton crop with the help of provincial Governments and all stake holders and our cotton production should not be less than 15 to 20 million bales.Prime Minister Imran Khan should constitute a high powered committee to resolve this crucial issue. Researchers must evolve new heat & Disease resistant varieties, Seed Corporation should ensure supply of well germinated seed to increase the per acre yield, said Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi Chairman of Multan Dry Port Trust(MDPT) and ex-President of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Multan -Dera Ghazi Khan while addressing a crowded Press Conference at his residence on Tuesday.Roomi said that survival and prosperity of cotton growers was in fact revival of Textile and value added industry.He stressed the need for increasing the per acre yield to 30/40 maund. For this purpose Government should ensure supply of certified seed ,qualitative fertilizers and other inputs besides technical assistance to farmers so that targets could be achieved easily.Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi stressed the need for re-setting our priorities and we should manufacture cloth for export and we should avoid to encourage export of yarn to promote Labour-Intensive value added sector.Roomi said that Government should launch Cotton Emergency Programme in the country with the collaboration of Province. He said that maximum area be brought under Cotton crop in Balochistan where staple length is far better than other areas of the country.Elaborating the incentives for farmer, Roomi said that Government should immediately announce the support price of "Raw-cotton" (Phutti), Electricity, fertilizers, pesticides and Good quality seed must be provided on subsidised rate at farmers' door step.Government should announce cash prices for growers, Agricultural scientists,Researchers and other stake holders.He assured that private sector would join hands with the Government to make Pakistan self sufficient in cotton. Roomi said that Pandemic coronavirus had badly hit the world's economy. It is high time for Pakistan too. We should encourage our youths particularly those returning from abroad to establish SMEs to provide jobs not only to themselves but also others.He further suggested that Government should provide loans on 2/3 percent per annum to SMEs. Throwing light on his suggestions & Proposals, Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi said that Government should pay subsidy on Fertilizers,seed and other inputs in cash to the farmers directly, Support price of Phutti must be announced like wheat and other crops with the consent of growers,ginners and other stake holders, Special measures be taken to combat locust swarm and virus attack, Central Cotton Research institutes and provincial centres must be reactivated,Cotton cess revenue must be spent on research and its recovery be ensured through associations of Textile related association, Government should adopt a viable strategy to increase he cotton production to 15 to 20 million bales, Special measures be taken to reduce the cost of production and make the agriculture a profitable sector. Government should discourage the sowing of sugarcane in cotton zone and South Punjab must be allocated for cotton crop. He was optimistic that Syed Fakhar Imam Minister for National Food Security & Research would activate his ministry to bring betterment in agriculture sector and he would take pain in boosting up the cotton production. Roomi said that export processing zones must be developed in Balochistan
