A scorching summer is jeopardizing cotton production in Pakistan, the world’s fifth-largest cotton producer, crucial for supporting its struggling economy, The Presstonight reported.
Impact on the Textile Industry
Cotton fibers are vital to Pakistan’s textile industry, its largest manufacturing sector, which exported $17 billion worth of garments in the last fiscal year ending in June.
Production Goals and Challenges
Pakistan aims to increase cotton production to 10.9 million bales (each weighing 170 kilograms) this year, up from 8.4 million bales last fiscal year, as per the Central Cotton Committee. However, extreme heat is hindering these efforts, causing crops to wilt during a critical growth period and attracting pests.
Damage in Sindh
Approximately 50,000 acres of cotton plantations, representing 9% of the total, have been damaged by abnormal heat in Sindh, one of Pakistan’s most fertile provinces, according to Zahid Hussain Bhurgri, General Secretary at the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture.
