LAHORE: The lifting of the longstanding ban on hybrid cotton technology has paved the way for what many industry stakeholders see as a potential turnaround for Pakistan`s cotton sector, with several seed development companies initiating large-scale trials of hybrid varieties across the country.

Field trials are currently underway in both Punjab and Sindh, with experts projecting that hybrid cotton could fully revitalise national output within thenext three to four years. Pakistan`s cotton industry had been held back for over five decades by a lack of access to hybrid technology despite its regulatory approval in 2010. The recent removal of this restriction has triggered a coordinated effort to helpthe country catchup with global leaders in cotton production, including India, China, the United States, Uzbekistan and Ethiopia.

Shahzad Ali Malik, CEO of Guard Agricultural Research and Services (Pvt) Ltd, said his firm is currently conducting hybrid cotton trials on 125 acres spread across Upper and Lower Sindh and Southern Punjab. Each participating farmer is cultivating a one-acre plot, with seeds provided at a 50pc discount.

Malik recalled that hybrid cotton trials were first conducted in 2007, but due to changing climate conditions par-ticularly rising temperatures and erratic weather fresh trials are now required.

His company is currently testing hybrid varieties imported from Ethiopia. He noted that earlier trials had shown yield increases of up to 86%, but the programme was shelved due to a government ban on hybrid variety seed imports.

This restriction was only recently lifted following his presentation on the subject to the prime minister.

Initial trial data is reported to be highly encouraging. While hybrid cotton varieties have a lower plant population around 8,500 plants per acre compared to 17,000 for conventional varieties they are demonstrating markedly higher boll formation. Hybrid plants are producingan average of250 to 300 bolls each, compared to 150 to 200 bolls in traditional varieties.Malik stressed that the private sector now bears the responsibility of repeating its earlier successes in hybrid rice and maise by bringing high-yielding hybrid cotton to the market. He described the potential gains as a `winwin situation` for companies, farmers through higher incomes and the country through enhanced cotton output.

He further stated that the executive committee of the Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) has accepted his proposal to convene a meeting of all cotton seed development and import companies in the coming weeks.

The aim is to encourage collaboration on hybrid cotton development, with the ultimate goal of making Pakistan not only self-sufficient in cotton production but a major exporter, as it once was.