FPCCI hails end of 50-year cotton seed import ban

LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has welcomed the government’s decision to lift the decades-old ban on cotton seed imports, calling it a milestone in the history of Pakistan’s agriculture sector. Cotton, they stressed, is not merely a crop, but the backbone of the country’s economy.

Speaking at a press conference at the FPCCI’s regional office on Friday, FPCCI Regional Chairperson and Vice President Zain Iftikhar Chaudhry, along with Shahzad Ali Malik, former chairperson of the Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association and member of the FPCCI Executive Committee, highlighted the long-standing challenges faced by the cotton sector. Industry experts have repeatedly warned that without reviving cotton production, the textile industry -- the largest contributor to national exports -- faces serious risk.

They described the lifting of the ban as a crucial first step towards revitalising the sector. “This move, which ends a restriction in place since 1976, opens the door for innovation and advancement in cotton seed technology,” they said, adding that the FPCCI, in collaboration with the government, would continue to advocate for the sector’s growth.

The speakers noted that on March 7, they met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to raise concerns regarding the ban on hybrid cotton seed imports. Thanking the premier for taking swift action, they remarked, “He has now shifted from ‘Punjab Speed’ to ‘Pakistan Speed’.”

They warned that cotton production in Pakistan has declined sharply over the years -- from 14 million bales in 2014 to just 5.5 million bales currently. This has led to the closure of approximately 800 ginning factories and 120 textile units, while the country now spends between $2 billion and $3 billion annually on cotton imports.

Highlighting the success of hybrid seeds in other crops, such as maize and rice -- where rice yields have reached up to 120 maunds (about 4.8 tonnes) per acre -- they expressed optimism that hybrid cotton seeds would drive similar gains in productivity.

APTMA Chairperson Kamran Arshad projected that Pakistan could spend as much as $3-4 billion on cotton imports this year alone. However, restoring domestic production to 14 million bales could boost textile exports to $25–30 billion annually. At full capacity, the textile sector requires 16.5 to 17 million bales per year. Due to poor yields over the past three to five years, Pakistan has become the world’s second-largest cotton importer, trailing only China.

Sajjad Malik of the Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association and Khalid Mehmood Khokhar, president of the Pakistan Kisan Ittehad Council, called for urgent action to improve per-acre productivity. They urged the government to declare an agricultural emergency in the upcoming national budget and allocate dedicated funding for agricultural research and development.