The support price for cotton has been agreed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Rs 8,500 per 40 kg, which is a significant step towards helping cotton farmers. He described cotton as the "backbone" of the country's textile sector while presiding over a meeting of the Agricultural Task Force, and he expressed confidence that the move would help the farmers. The prime minister ordered that the issue be brought before the Economic Coordination Committee as soon as possible and advised the provinces to guarantee that the cotton price is implemented.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the significance of cotton in generating foreign money and said that the federal government would provide the provinces with all the support it could in this respect. He added that measures are being made to increase the amount of cotton produced per acre and gave the Ministry of National Food Security the go-ahead to complete the necessary recommendations.

The conference was informed that last year's cotton crop had an exponential decline because of floods, prolonged periods of heavy rain, a lack of water for canal irrigation, and a fertiliser scarcity. The total amount of cotton produced this year, which is currently predicted at 12.77 million bales, is anticipated to increase significantly as a result of government policies.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk