Excerpt from Cotton in Pakistan

Cotton and the history of Pakistan have been closely associated for at least years, and there is nothing to suggest that this relationship W111 change for a long, long time to come. However, the history of commercial production of Upland, the type that constitutes the bulk of the world's produc tion and more than 90 percent of the world's trade in cotton, goes back only 50 years. Nevertheless, during this relatively short period, Upland has gained such Widespread acceptance as a suitable crop that it now accounts for 90 percent of the country's cotton output. Asiatic cotton native to the region still is produced in sizable quantities mostly for export, and because of a number of peculiar characteristics will continue to be produced. Any increase in production, however, will probably be in Upland varieties.

That cotton is important to the economy of Pakistan is amply demonstrated by the role given to this commodity in official economic development plans. Increases in production of both cotton and cotton textiles figured in the First and Second five-year Plans (1955-60 and 1960 Cotton, either as a raw product or as textiles, was to supply a sizable share of the foreign exchange earned during the Plan periods. Goals for textile output have been reached easily, but exports of textiles have lagged. Cotton production did not reach the objective in the First Plan. Production in 1962 reached the third year goal of the Second Plan only because of exceptionally good weather conditions. There is a possibility that production in 1964-65, the last year of the Second Plan, will not reach the million-bale aim.

Numerous problems beset the expansion of cotton production in Pakistan. The economy of the country is such that each farmer must prowde his own food and feedstuff before he can devote resources to cotton or any other cash crop. Credit supplies on reasonable terms are inadequate to the needs of farmers. The marketing system for cotton does not encourage expanded production. Cultural practices generally employed perpetuate low yields. Four-fifths of the farmers are illiterate, and this reduces the effectiveness of traditional extension efforts. Obviously, a tremendous potential exists for expanding current yields, which, because of many of the above factors, are now among the lowest in the world for a predominantly irrigated cotton area.

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