Dr M. Kashif
Ilyaskashifnarc@gmail.com
Reviving the crop will take better seed, new growing areas and a fair return for the farmer, not higher production targets.Cotton does a great deal of quiet work in Pakistan. It feeds our mills, supplies much of our export earnings and supports millions of farming families. That is why I am wary of talking about its revival as a matter of production targets. What is at stake is farmers incomes, jobs in the textile sector and the stability of the wider economy.This was the backdrop to World Cotton Day, marked in Islamabad on 7 October under the global theme Cotton for Good.
The event was organised by the Cotton Pakistan Foundation and, for the first time, hosted at NIGAB, part of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). Policymakers, scientists, progressive farmers, seed companies, textile representatives and universities attended. The discussion kept returning to three questions: what does the farmer need, why does seed matter so much, and where is the industry heading?There was a reason to hold it at NIGAB. For the first time, cotton has been grown on an experimental basis at the institute in Islamabad. Cotton has traditionally belonged to southern Punjab and Sindh, but climate change, water shortages and rising production costs are squeezing those areas. We have to ask whether other regions can share part of the load.The result is encouraging, but it needs to be read carefully. One experimental crop is a first step, not proof, and as a scientist I cannot claim that the Pothohar is ready for commercial cotton. That would require testing many varieties, recording yield and fibre quality over several seasons, watching pest and disease pressure, and working out the crops water needs and weather risks. Then comes the question every farmer will ask first: does it pay?If repeated trials show that parts of the Pothohar suit cotton, small farmers there could gain a new source of income. Seed companies could also multiply good-quality, disease-free planting material closer to the market. If the trials say otherwise, we will have learned that too, and decisions on expansion will rest on evidence rather than enthusiasm.The speakers approached the problem from different directions, yet their points fitted together.
Ahmad Umair, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Security, argued that cottons revival must become a national priority, with farmers, industry and exports moving under a single strategy. Kayvan Anwar, president of the Cotton Pakistan Foundation, described it as a meeting point for the whole value chain, and vice president Muhammad Asad Jaffery stressed long-term collective effort. Senator Sehar Kamran reminded the audience that every cotton policy must begin with the farmers livelihood and the wellbeing of rural communities.On research, PARC Chairman Dr Syed Murtaza Hassan Andrabi spoke of high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties and modern farm technology. He also stressed the need to carry findings to growers, which requires strong links between research, industry and farmers.Engr. Javed Saleem Qureshi of the Four Brothers Group made the case for seed:quality seed is the first condition of any revival, and the foundation Pakistans white gold needs can only come from good seed. The day also saw the launch of the first public-private partnership in the cotton sector, with his group the first to join. Research institutions and the private sector often speak of cooperation, so it was good to see one begin in practice. Dr Javed Hassan of APTMA added that bodies such as the Pakistan Cotton Board can improve coordination, support seed development and help assure quality.I agree with all of this, and I say so from experience. As Programme Leader of the Cotton Research Programme at NIGAB, NARC, I have been given the task of helping revive cotton in Pakistan. After more than 20 years of work on neglected and underutilised crops, I have learnt that a good variety is only the beginning. The seed must stay pure and consistent, certified seed must reach farmers on time, and sowing date, fertiliser, irrigation and pest control all have to go right. Research that stays on experimental plots helps no one; it has to reach growers through demonstration plots, farmers own fields and training programmes. That is why I valued the walk through the cotton crop at NARC, where participants discussed future trials and cooperation directly with our research team.Markets are also changing. International buyers now ask how cotton was grown, not only how good it is. They want responsible water use, sensible reductions in chemical inputs and supply chains that can be traced. The country manager of the Organic Cotton Accelerator spoke about these trends, and APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad stressed that a competitive cotton sector matters for the textile industry and for Pakistans place in world markets. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity. It will work only if the benefits reach the farmer through training, advice, good inputs and a market that pays fairly for better quality.The real measure of a cotton revival is not the production figure. It is what the grower takes home, what it costs him to produce, how much risk he carries and whether he trusts the market. Major General (Retd) Tahir Masood Bhatta, a progressive farmer, made the same point from the growers side, naming quality seed, knowledge, modern technology and fair returns as what farmers need to compete.
The farmer is not a bystander in agricultural policy. The entire effort rests on him.So where should we begin? I would put a few priorities first: climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties; pure certified seed; more public-private partnerships; careful use of water and farm resources; integrated pest management; and market links that make sustainable production worthwhile. For the Pothohar and any other prospective area, the approach should be patient: test scientifically, develop technology suited to local conditions, run the economics honestly, and expand only where the evidence supports it.Cotton is more than a crop. It sustains rural livelihoods, the textile industry and our exports. Reviving it will take government, researchers, universities, seed companies, industry and farmers working under one strategy. The task now is to turn research into results, good seed into a better crop, and the farmers hard work into prosperity.
The writer is Principal Scientific Officer and Programme Leader, Cotton Research Programme, NIGAB, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad. He has more than 20 years of experience in Crop germplasm collection,acquisition also neglected and underutilised crops and previously served at the Plant Genetic Resources Institute (PGRI), National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad.
