Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research has resolved to summon the heads of the Research and Development departments under the Ministry to deliberate on practical solutions to the country’s declining cotton production.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the decision emerged from the committee’s ninth meeting, chaired by Syed Hussain Tariq, MNA, at the Parliament House. The Secretary of the Ministry provided a briefing on the national cotton crisis, mentioning that the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) had convened to tackle the issue. The committee instructed the Ministry to share the PCCC’s finalized findings for review and announced plans for a National Conference on the revival of cotton in January 2025, inviting stakeholders to contribute.

The Vice President of PCCC informed the committee of notices served to eight companies for non-payment of Cess, noting an improvement in cess collection in the first quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year. The committee stressed the need to enhance seed quality, which could significantly impact cotton production.

The committee also directed the Ministry to invite the Chairman of PARC to discuss establishing a Research Centre in District Khairpur to improve date production and quality. Additionally, a representative from the Ministry of Climate Change will be invited to the next committee meeting.

The committee praised the Punjab Government for utilizing 100 acres of land for shrimp farming, achieving notable success. The meeting was attended by several MNAs and senior officers from relevant ministries and organizations.