Pak-Afghan Cotton Ginners Association to be established, the suggestion came up at the meeting held between the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, chairman Mukhta Ahmed Khan Baloch and Afghan ginners, on Saturday in Pakistan to discuss the possibilities and viabilities of cotton sowing and ginning industry.

The suggestion to establish was put forward during the meeting to which the Afghan delegation gave their approval. The delegation appreciated the PCGA role, stating that they would form Afghan Cotton Ginners Association (ACGA) immediately.

Head of the Afghan Delegation Muhammad Abdullah Munib said that Afghanistan has 35 ginning factories and sows cotton on 7,000 acres as the result there is a huge potential to increase the cotton production. But the cotton prices are almost higher than Pakistan. They would make use of Pakistani machinery in future to upgrade the ginning sector.

Pakistan would assist Afghanistan to boost cotton sowing, as it sows cotton on maximum area and also to establish and upgrade of their existing ginning industry, supply certified and well germinated seed and promote bilateral trade between two states.

Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) Joint Director Liaquat Ali khan briefed the Afghan delegation about the cotton standardization and its grading. The Afghan ginners, to get benefit from Pakistan’s research on cotton.

PCGA vice-chairman Asim Saeed Sheikh said that Pakistan was a producer of good quality cotton and no one can compete in the world and there is a great demand of Pakistani cotton products in the global market and with getting the status of GSP Plus; they would be able to reintroduce their product in European Union.

Pakistan would also cooperate with Afghanistan in the technology transfer.

PCGA former office-bearers Sheikh Muhammad Saeed, Sohail Mehmood Haral, Shahzad Ali Khan, Rao Sadaruddin, Khawaja Muhammad Azam, Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, acting secretary general Asif Khalil, assistant secretary Tauqeer Shah, PCIS Laboratory in-charge Muhammad Ajmal Chunghtai, Afghan delegates Muhammad Abdullah Muneeb, Munir Ayubi, Muhammad Haroon, Abdul Qudoos, Kh Abdul Salam and Sher Gull were also present at the meeting.

The delegation also visited the Bukhari Cotton industries in Shujabad where Kh Farooq Ahmed briefed them.

According to the latest economic survey, Pakistan’s cotton yield has steadily increased over the years from 713 kilogram per hectare in 2008-9 to 769kg in 2012-13.