MULTAN
Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch has said that the PCGA is willing to extend expertise to Afghanistan needed to boost cotton sowing, establishment of ginning industry and up-gradation of existing ginning industry, supply of certified and well germinated seed and promotion of bilateral trade between two states.
He made the offer while talking to a delegation of Afghan ginners here on Saturday. PCGA Vice Chairman Aasim Saeed Sheikh suggested that Pak-Afghan cotton ginners Association (PACGA) be formed which was endorsed by the delegation. Head of the Afghan Delegation Muhammad Abdullah Munib said that there were 35 ginning factories in Afghanistan and cotton is sown on 7,000 acres of land and there was a potential to increase the cotton production. He told that cotton prices almost are higher than Pakistan. He said that Pakistani machinery was mostly erected in ginning factories. Some preferred Indian Machinery. However we would use Pakistani machinery in future to upgrade the ginning sector. The delegation appreciated the performance and role of PCGA and said that we would also organise Afghan Cotton Ginners Association (ACGA) immediately and we would prefer Pakistan for trade and for purchase of Machinery and we would get benefits from research of Pakistan on cotton. Joint Director of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) Liaquat Ali khan briefed the delegation about the cotton standardisation and its grading etc. Vice Chairman of PCGA Aasim Saeed Sheikh said that Pakistan was a producer of good quality cotton and no one can compete it in the world and there was a great demand of Pakistani cotton products in the global market. After getting the status of GSP-plus we would be able to re-introduce our product in European union. The country’s cotton yield has steadily increased over the years from 713 kgs per hectare in 2008-09 to 769 kgs in 2012-13, according to the latest economic survey. He said that Pakistan will cooperate with Afghanistan in transfer of technology.
Ex-Chairmen of PCGA Sheikh Muhammad Saeed, Suhail Mehmood Haral, Shehzad Ali Khan, Rao Sadaruddin, Khawaja Muhammad Azam,Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, acting Secretary General Asif Khalil, Assistant Secretary Tauqeer Shah, PCIS Laboratory incharge Muhammad Ajmal Chunghtai, Afghan delegates Muhammad Abdullah Muneeb, Munir Ayyubi, Muhammad Haroon, Abdul Quddos, Khawaja Abdul-Salam, and Sher Gull took part in the discussion.