Pakistan, China Collaborate to Boost Cotton Yields Using Technology

Two government-supported organizations, one from China and one from Pakistan, have entered into a deal with the objective of enhancing Pakistan's cotton production through advanced technology techniques. The partnership, as specified in a memorandum of understanding (MoU), is to boost Pakistan's cotton industry, which is still critical to its economy.

Cotton is a major cash crop for Pakistan, making it the fifth-largest cotton producer and third-largest cotton yarn producer in the world. Accounting for 0.8% of the GDP of the country, cotton also accounts for 51% of Pakistan's foreign exchange income. The sector employs more than 1,000 ginning mills and about 400 textile mills throughout the country.

The MoU was signed between the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AAIR) in Punjab, Pakistan, and the Institute of Cotton Research (ICR) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The two institutes, under this agreement, will aim to increase cotton yields through genetic enhancement and promote Pakistan's cotton industry globally.

The ICR, the sole state-level cotton research organization in China, spearheads national research initiatives addressing the most important issues in cotton cultivation. AAIR, established in 1962, is one of Pakistan's premier agricultural research organizations dedicated to the creation of new crop varieties and technology for food security.

The collaboration follows growing cotton imports into Pakistan, driven by a sharp decline in domestic cotton output. Factories as of January received 5.51 million bales, a decrease of 34% from the previous year.

In Punjab, Pakistan's main cotton-producing region, output dipped to 2.7 million bales, a decline of more than 36% from last year.