epaselect PAKISTAN WORLD COTTON DAY

Pakistan's cotton industry faces decline as world marks fourth Cotton Day

epaselect epa11647636 A laborer harvests cotton at a field in Tando Allahyar, Sindh province, Pakistan, 07 October 2024. Pakistan's cotton industry, once thriving, is facing a severe decline, with production dropping from over 14 million bales in 2004 to just 4.91 million bales in 2022, and projections for 2024 indicating further decline to around 8 million bales against a target of 11 million. Sindh province has seen a 13 percent reduction in cotton acreage, while Punjab farmers report a 10-15 percent decrease. 'We pay precious foreign exchange to import lint cotton for the textile industry. Laborers and farmers suffer as they lose their share of economic returns in cotton', stated Mahmood Nawaz Shah, president of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB). This year marks the fourth official World Cotton Day, an initiative born in 2019, aiming to highlight the importance of the cotton sector and its role in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation, according to the United Nations. EPA/NADEEM KHAWER

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