Summary The cotton production has been estimated with 7% increase for the upcoming season.
ISLAMABAD, March 21 (Online) - A parliamentary panel on Thursday was informed that country’s estimated cotton production is 14.1 million bales with 7 per cent increase for the upcoming season against the target of 13.3 million bales set for the outgoing season.
Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah stated this during the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Textile that met with Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio in the chair. Dr Khalid Abdullah said that cotton production for the upcoming season is estimated at 14.1 million bales from 8 million acres against 13.3 million bales from 7 million acres of the outgoing season.
He said during the outgoing season water shortage during sowing time, floods and rain destroyed about one million of cotton. He said that the target for the outgoing season is less than the preceding year’s output of 13.59 million bales.
During the meeting Federal Secretary Textile Industry Dr Waqar Masood said that government is providing 225 MMCFD gas to 434 textile units having Captive Power Plants which generate about 680 MW power. However this power is for its own consumption and not provided to the National grade station.
Secretary urged that gas should be provided to four power plants in Lahore which could work more efficiently and produce more power, adding that, the power produced by the power plant would be cheaper and would facilitate general public. He said that there are 254 textile units including spinning, weaving and composite units with gas connection, having captive power generations on the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) network.
Average gas consumption of 254 captive power units is approximately 180 MMCFD. As regards, power produced from these captive power textile units, is depends upon the efficiency of the equipment installed. However, approximately 3 MWs of power is produced from 1 MMCFD gas, secretary maintained.
Senator Usman Saifullah Khan said that it is not the job of the textile mills to produce power. The government should ensure power to textile industry while gas be provided to power plants which could work more efficiently and produce more power as compared to the captive power plants.
The committee asked the Ministry of Water and Power and Petroleum and Natural Resources to come to the next and give their input on the gas supply policy to the captive power plants and impacts.
The Ministry of National Food Security had approached the Ministry of Textile for commenting on cotton seed germination relaxation issue. Secretary textile told the committee that ministry after consulting with stakeholders has agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of National Food Security.
At this moment cotton seed requirement for the upcoming season is 40 thousand metric ton while only 6 thousand metric ton is available with public and private seed companies. After relaxing germination standard to 50 percent, additional 20 metric ton of cotton seed would be made available.
