Pakistan plans to hand hold Afghanistan’s textile industry by helping them in sowing cotton in maximum area, establishing ginning their industry and up-gradating existing ginning mills, supply certified and well-germinated seed and promote bilateral trade between the two countries. This was stated by Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch, Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association (PCGA) in a meeting with a delegation of Afghan ginners.
Aasim Saeed Sheikh, Vice Chairman of PCGA, suggested that a Pak-Afghan Cotton Ginners' Association (PACGA) be formed. The head of the Afghan delegation Muhammad Abdullah Munib said there were 35 ginning factories in Afghanistan and cotton was sown on 7,000 acres of land and there was a potential to increase the cotton production. He said cotton prices almost were higher than those in Pakistan, adding Pakistani machinery was mostly erected in ginning factories; but, some preferred Indian Machinery.
The delegation appreciated the performance and role of PCGA and said, they would set up Afghan Cotton Ginners' Association (ACGA) immediately. They also looked forward to buying machinery from Pakistan and gaining from research being done in cotton by Pakistan.
Joint Director of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) Liaquat Ali Khan briefed the delegation about cotton standardisation and its grading. Vice Chairman of PCGA Aasim Saeed Sheikh said Pakistan was a producer of good quality cotton and no other producer in the world could compete with it. The country’s cotton yield has steadily been increased over the years from 713 kg per hectare in 2008-09 to 769 kg in 2012-13, according to the latest economic survey.
