Islamabad, August 16, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday expressed concern over a reduction in cotton sowing area by nine lakh acres in the province of Punjab despite the package announced recently by the government. The farmers have planted cotton on 3.1 million acres against the target of 4 million acres which is a threat to the largest export and second-largest employment provider sector of textile, it said.

Pakistan will continue to import cotton worth billions of dollars to keep the textile mills running due to the expected shortfall, said Chairman Pakistan Economy Watch Brig. (retd) Aslam Khan. He said that the target for rice cultivation was set at five million acres but growers have cultivated rice on six million acres.

Planters are preferring hybrid rice over Basmati which is now under threat as hybrid rice results in more profit, he informed. The area under cultivation for rice may increase in the days to come while sugarcane crop has also gained some three hundred thousand acres. Aslam Khan said that rice and water require more water as compared to other crops and increase in their area under cultivation will need more water which may result in problems as the country is facing scarcity of water.

Rice area in 2016-17 was 4.29 million acres, which has now jumped to six million that is an expansion of almost 40 percent, he said, adding that at that time country was sparing almost 30 million acre-feet water for rice maturity. Can it now afford to increase the corresponding 40 percent water consumption. He asked the authorities to take note of the situation, speed up implementation on cotton package and take corrective measures to balance the production of important crops.

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