Nasir Mahmood
Cotton is cultivated in more than half of the world and stands as one of the most essential cash crops.
Pakistan, being a principally agricultural country, holds a prominent position on the global cotton map. Cotton plays a significant role in generating national revenue, while seed cotton and its by-products remain among the country’s key trade commodities.
In Pakistan, cotton-growing regions are spread across all four provinces. Nearly 70% of cultivation takes place in Greater Punjab, 25–30% in Sindh, and 4–5% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Balochistan, only the Nasirabad division is suitable for cotton production. The textile industry, though relatively young, serves as the backbone of Pakistan’s industrial economy. It provides nearly 40% of industrial employment and contributes around 60% to the country’s export earnings.
However, cotton production in Pakistan has declined sharply over the past decade, despite its importance as both a cash crop and the primary raw material for the textile sector. In 2024–25, production dropped to around 5.2–5.5 million bales, a steep decline of nearly one-third from 8.4 million bales the previous year. Sowing for the 2025–26 season is nearly complete, but Punjab is lagging by about 11% of its target, while Sindh and Balochistan are behind by nearly 35%, limiting acreage gains. At one time, Pakistan ranked among the top cotton-producing countries in the world. Today, however, it has fallen to around ninth or tenth place, a sharp decline that presents an embarrassing situation for what was once called the “White Gold” of Pakistan.
Why Cotton is short in Pakistan: 1. Pest attacks (especially pink bollworm & whitefly): • Pink bollworm and whitefly infestations have severely damaged cotton crops, especially in Punjab and Sindh.• Farmers lack access to resistant varieties and effective pesticides. 2. Low-quality seeds: • A lack of certified, high-yield, and pest-resistant seed varieties has led to lower productivity.• Many farmers still use uncertified or counterfeit Bt cotton seeds.
3. Climate Change & Extreme Weather: • Unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, droughts, and floods (e.g. 2022,2025 floods) damage crops. 4. Poor Agricultural Practices: • Outdated cultivation techniques and low mechanization.• Inadequate pest scouting and unbalanced fertilizer use. 5. Ineffective Policy Support • Weak R&D support, limited extension services, and poor coordination between federal and provincial agriculture departments.
Increase Cotton Production in Pakistan • Develop and distribute certified Bt and non-Bt cotton seeds with resistance to pink bollworm, whitefly, and climate stresses. • Promote indigenous seed research via public-private partnerships.• Train farmers in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).• Provide subsidized or timely access to effective pesticides and biological control agents.• Promote drip and sprinkler irrigation systems in cotton-growing areas.• Encourage soil health practices to retain moisture and reduce water stress.• Strengthen provincial agriculture departments to provide regular guidance to farmers.• Establish model farms and demo plots for modern techniques.• Ensure minimum support price (MSP) for cotton to attract farmers. • Provide input subsidies (seeds, fertilizer, pesticides) to smallholders.• Subsidize tools for sowing, picking, and spraying to reduce labor costs and post-harvest losses.
—The writer is occasionally contributes.
