Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said the country can lose title of major cotton-producing country if cotton policy and sowing methods are not changed altogether
KARACHI (Pakistan Point News / Online - 06th November, 2019) Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said the country can lose title of major cotton-producing country if cotton policy and sowing methods are not changed altogether.Cotton crop is failing to cope with the challenge of climate change, therefore, the government should intervene in it immediately while the textile sector should also step forward to save its future, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that cotton production was 15 million bales in 2013-14 which fell to ten million bales during the last year while the production in the current season is yet dismal.Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader cotton growers are shifting to other crops due to low productivity, reduced profit, climate change, sub-standard seed and pesticides and other factors which is a great threat to the country's agricultural and industrial base.
The former minister noted that there is a need to introduce pest-resistant seed which can withstand climate change and other problems otherwise all stakeholders will suffer as hundreds of ginning factories have already been closed due to low output.Continued reduction in cotton output is hitting the largest export earner and job providing sector while the textile sector should not remain confined to the demand for duty-free cotton imports.END/ OnlinePR/NK-------------------------------------------------------------------The Government of Japan Approves Grant $ 60,613 for a Social Development ProjectIslamabad, November 06, (Online): The Government of Japan has decided to provide financial assistance of $60,613 for a street pavement project in Union Council Beer, Haripur District.
The grant will be provided to Badban Enterprises Development Forum- a local non-government organization in Haripur district.Agreement for the project was signed on 6 November 2019 between the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Kuninori Matsuda and head of the recipient organization at the residence of the Ambassador of Japan in Islamabad.The grant of $60,613 to BEDF will be utilized for the pavement of streets, along with construction of drains, in six different villages of Beer Union Council.
At present, due to broken or unpaved streets, mobility of local residents, particularly during rainy days, is extremely difficult. It is expected that the project will benefit 11,685 individuals of the six villages with better streets infrastructure.While addressing in the ceremony, the Ambassador, Kuninori Matsuda congratulated the recipient organization for winning the Japanese grant for their development project. He expressed his hope that the projects will help in ensuring easy mobility to local residents, especially women, children and elderly people of six villages.
