LA HOR E: The Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf`s Kisan Wing has demanded that the government immediately launch a cotton revival programme, prioritising local crop production and farmers` livelihoods.

`The government should introduce a cotton revival plan, including abolishing the 18 per cent sales tax on the ginning sector, and enforcing agricultural zoning laws to protect the cotton belt being converted into sugarcane fields and housing societies,` said wing`s general secretary Muhammad Ejaz Shafi.

There`s a need to prioritise localproduction and farmers` livelihoods and failure to address these issues would lead to a situation where the growers would be mere spectators to import bills, he warned on Sunday.

Referring to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data that textile imports have reached $4.24 billion, a 61pc increase from the last year, he highlighted that over 100,000 bales of local cotton are rotting in warehouses while textile mills are importing lint from abroad, posing a threat to local farmers and the national economy.

Shafi expressed disappointment that Pakistan`s cotton imports have surpassed local productionfor the first time in the fiscal year 2024-25.

He lamented that billions of rupees are being spent on imports, ignoring the hard work of millions of local growers, and instead of local purchase, the millers are benefitting the foreign farmers.

He attributed the farmers` plight to the departmental negligence, failure to incorporate climate change impact in the agricultural policy and plans, neglect of the ginning industry, and heavy taxes on local cotton.

He warned that if the situation persists, local agriculture, rural economy, food security, and the future of farmers will be at risk.