The country’s top agriculture scientists, academics, and experts joined brainstorming sessions at an online conference acknowledging the big potential Pakistan possesses in organic cotton and the way forward to translate it into action toward growth excellence and bring foreign exchange earnings home.
The event was organized by Sawie, a climate-smart agriculture digital platform providing real-time advisories, and the country’s ace cotton research body Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) on Aug 31 at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, CCRI spokesman said on Saturday.
The 2nd Annual SAWiE Conference on Organic Cotton Pakistan was themed around knowledge dissemination and best practices sharing and it attracted a diverse audience including policymakers, industry experts, farmers, and researchers. It sought to bridge gaps and promote collaboration across the organic cotton value chain, fostering a holistic approach.
Dr Khalid Mahmood from SAWIE and Prof Dr Rana Iqrar Khan, Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture Faisalabad opened the conference and emphasized the need to improve soil health through improving organic matter.
Dr Yusuf Zafar, the former Chairman of PARC and CABI, highlighted Pakistan’s immense potential in the organic cotton sector.
Citing the findings of a Textile Exchange report, he said, “Pakistan has the capacity to achieve a staggering 405% growth in organic cotton production.”—APP
