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3 incentive slabs for
growers, ginners: Taint-free cotton
KARACHI- Cotton growers and ginners will now be offered three
different incentive slabs on production and processing of
contamination-free cotton in coming season instead of two
given in the outgoing season.
Contamination in cotton bales is causing a loss of 1.4 billion
to 2 billion dollars in exports every year as the
International Textile Manufacturing Forum has been advising
the member textile units all around the world to avoid using
yarn and fabrics from Pakistan as inputs because of
contamination.
Pakistani yarn and fabrics is being used to produce low
quality and low value textile products which do not fetch good
price in the international market.
Super rich cotton growers, ginners and spinners are being
blamed to abort the government drive of contamination-free
cotton this season. Rich farmers and ginners are reported to
have stocked cotton and are now releasing this stock when
normally cotton picking comes to an end in December every
year. Spinners went for cotton import and quick export of yarn
and fabrics this season causing loss to the growers as well as
to the value-added sectors.
Undaunted by 'not so very encouraging' results of the drive
for production and processing of contamination-free cotton
this season, the policy-makers are offering Rs200 premium on
zero contamination cotton next Kharif also.
A new incentive slab being proposed to be incorporated in the
next cotton policy is to offer Rs100 premium if contamination
is found to have been contained below one gram per bale level.
The government proposes to offer Rs75 premium to the growers
and ginners if contamination is between one to 2.5 grams per
bale.
The government has offered only two incentive slabs to
encourage growth and processing of contamination-free cotton
this season. The proposal is now to offer three such incentive
slabs next season.
"Contamination in cotton bales in something unknown and
undesirable in all parts of the world except India and
Pakistan," Gohar Ejaz, a young textile manufacturer and
exporter told Dawn. He has taken initiative to promote
production of contamination-free cotton in the country.
He found many friends and supporters among the decision-makers
and offered incentives to growers and ginners in two districts
- Khanewal in Punjab and Ghotki in Sindh.
He said that contamination in cotton bales invited discounts
and penalties in all parts of the world. In Pakistan and India
contamination in cotton bales is accepted as an unavoidable
cultural practice. He attributed this contamination to erratic
cotton picking in the fields, using containers that
contaminates cotton, defective transportation and storage that
exposes cotton to all sort of contamination from toffee
wrappers, jute strings and hairs.
"Instead of penalties and discounts we decided to offer
incentives on contamination-free cotton," Mr. Gohar said,
claiming that this drive had proved a great success.
Contamination has been brought down from 22 to 24 grams a bale
to hardly 2.5 grams a bale. Gohar's analysis of cotton bales
in various districts has found contamination alarmingly high.
The last meeting of Textile Board held on Friday (April 19)
decided to extend the contamination-free cotton programme to
nine districts of the country.
courtesy Daily Dawn ,
24 April, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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