lahore
Senior Vice Chairman APTMA Akbar Seth has said that the textile industry crisis is set to endanger the cotton economy, as reduction in productivity will make difficult for milers to procure cotton ahead.
According to him, chances are high the cotton farmers will not be able to get even production cost if energy crisis persists for another month. The cotton farmers will set their crop ablaze in case they failed to get appropriate price.
He was addressing a press conference on Wednesday evening along with the Acting Chairman APTMA Syed Ali Ahsan at the APTMA Punjab. Speaking to media, Syed Ali Ahsan said that the production capacity equivalent to 100 textile units has already closed in Punjab due to energy load shedding. Syed Ali Ahsan said the Federal Minister Textile was constantly writing to the Prime Minister for appointment in order to apprise him the Punjab-based textile industry issues.  APTMA was also seeking appointment from the Prime Minister to get resolve the energy relating issues, he added. However, he appreciated the Punjab government for providing gas supply to the Punjab-based textile mills during last winter, which was not possible during previous years. The Acting Chairman said that APTMA has signed MOU with Chinese company for 330MW coal-based power plant but the problem is to how keep the operations continue in the meanwhile. He urged the government to save jobs of 15 million direct and indirect textile workers by providing electricity and gas supply to the Punjab-based textile mills immediately.
He said exports of yarn and fabric have dropped by 22 percent and 36 percent respectively in the month of April and May and more is likely to take place in next month due to unprecedented increase in load shedding.
According to him, the textile industry consumes 16 million bales out of which yarn and cloth worth 10 million bales is exported annually, which has suppressed due to energy crisis.