Experts urge effective strategy to revive declining cotton production

Leading national and international experts, policymakers and progressive growers on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the persistent decline in cotton production in Pakistan, urging a coordinated, multi-stakeholder strategy to revive the crop, once regarded as the backbone of the country’s agrarian economy

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2026) Leading national and international experts, policymakers and progressive growers on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the persistent decline in cotton production in Pakistan, urging a coordinated, multi-stakeholder strategy to revive the crop, once regarded as the backbone of the country’s agrarian economy.

They were speaking at the opening session of a two-day international conference titled “Cotton Seed Production and Development: Issues and Solutions,” organised by the department of plant breeding and genetics at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam, with support from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad.

According to the SAU spokesperson, participants emphasized the need for a robust, collaborative platform bringing together public-sector research and academic institutions, private seed companies and policymakers to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the cotton sector.

Experts attributed the continued decline to climate change, rising temperatures, limited technological innovation in seed development, escalating input costs, volatile market prices and increasing fuel costs. They warned that without farmer-friendly policies and timely interventions, the situation could deteriorate further.

In his presidential address, SAU Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof Dr Altaf Ali Siyal described cotton as a strategic crop, contributing around one percent to the national GDP and about five percent to agricultural value addition, while supporting millions of livelihoods.

He noted with concern that the area under cotton cultivation had shrunk from around three million hectares to nearly 2–2.2 million hectares over the past decade, with yields either stagnating or declining due to pest attacks, climate stress and poor-quality seed.

Dr Siyal highlighted key challenges including the absence of certified and traceable seed systems, increasing pest pressure, climate variability and weak linkages between research and extension services. “Addressing these challenges requires a convergence of science, policy and practice,” he said, adding that the university had developed two cotton varieties and would continue contributing through research, innovation and partnerships.

Director of the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) Tandojam Dr Mahboob Ali Sial underscored the challenge of developing certified, climate-resilient seed, noting that Pakistan ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries.

He said research institutions and plant breeders had a critical role to play, adding that his institute was working on improved seed varieties for 41 crops.

Senior Vice President of the Sindh Abadgar Board Syed Nadeem Shah pointed to multiple constraints including substandard seed, climate change, imbalanced fertiliser use and ineffective pesticides, which, he said, were pushing farmers towards financial distress. He criticized the lack of consistent policies and reliable agricultural data, and proposed the formation of a breeders’ advisory board comprising retired experts.

Chinese expert Mr. Wang Xin Chen said his team was collaborating with Pakistan’s private sector and research institutions to develop improved seed varieties for cotton and other crops, ensuring better access for farmers.

Representing the International Center for Cotton Development & Sustainability (ICCDS) Senior Advisor Shahid Mansoor said that Sindh’s per-acre cotton yield remained higher than Punjab’s and urged agricultural graduates to focus on developing new crop varieties.

Private sector representative Tariq Khanzada observed that while global cotton research had advanced to multi-gene technologies, Pakistan was still struggling with single-gene progress. “Without adopting modern technologies, cotton will continue to decline, and farmers will shift to alternative crops,” he warned.

Earlier, conference secretary Prof Dr Shah Nawaz Mari, principal organizer Dr Wajid Ali Jatoi, Dr Shabana Memon and Dr Tanweer Fatah Abro also addressed the participants, while experts from various countries and institutions across Pakistan participated in the conference both physically and virtually, presenting their research papers during the technical sessions.

Among those present were Chinese expert Mr Zhong Weisheng, Dean Faculty of Crop Production Prof Dr Inayatullah Rajper, Head of Rural Banking at United Bank Limited Syed Arif Ali Shah, noted agricultural expert Karam Khan Kaleri and representatives from academia, industry and farming communities.

Later, the vice chancellor, along with distinguished guests, inaugurated an agricultural exhibition featuring stalls from public and private organizations, followed by technical sessions. A large number of scientists, industry representatives, breeders, progressive farmers, and students attended the conference.