COTTON, THE ENGINE PRIMING PAKISTAN'S ECONOMY

By

* Mian Iftkhar Afzal

B.Sc. (Karachi), B.S. (USA), M.Sc. (Leeds), FPSI, c text FTI and

** Dr. Zahoor Ahmad Baluch

M.Sc. (Hons.) Agri., Ph.D. (Agri)

1    INTRODUCTION

1.1    Cotton and Pakistan are synonyms. The oldest cotton seed (9000 years old) was discovered in Mehargarh, Baluchistan. Indeed collateral evidence is also available to suggest that Mehargarh was one of the places where man started to grow food instead of gathering it. Evidence is also available to suggest that art of spinning and weaving originated i Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan. Oldest pieces of cotton cloth extent were found there.

1.2    Cotton is mentioned in Rig Veda and was also quoted by Alexander the great. However these cottons were indigenous perennial species. In recent past American up-land cotton seed used to be imported by East India Company

1.3    According to Roberts 1915, the first indigenous upland cultivar namely 4F was introduce in 1884.

1.4    It is interesting to note that the Agricultural Journal of India in Vol. X Part IV October, 1915 quotes (Sir) William Roberts, Professor of Agriculture, Agricultural College, Lyallpur (Faisalabad), “some time ago after 1909 an experienced member of the firm Messre RALI BROTHERS informed the writer that American cotton would never succeed and that there was no demand for it”. Currently 10 million bales or 99% of cotton grown in Pakistan are American Upland. It is obvious that M/s. Rali Brothers needed a better crystal ball.

1.5    Cotton is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. Millions of farmers, over one thousand ginning factories, over 400 textile mills in the organized sector and over 250,000 looms in not so organized sector and over a million workers in the down-stream industries like RMG, hosiery, bed wear etc depend on the silver fibre.

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