Pakistan expects record cotton produce: Ambassador Masood

Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khan on Saturday said Pakistan was expecting record cotton production of over 15 million bales in the 2011-12 crop year as farmers were sowing in a wider area after domestic prices doubled a year ago.In an interview with China Textile News, a Chinese language daily which focuses on textile related matters, the Ambassador said Pakistan achieved record cotton production of 14.6 million bales in 2004-05, but the output fell sharply after that until now.The ambassador said the government was targeting a sowing area of 8.5 million acres, up by 8 per cent from the last year, working out a plan to prevent pest and virus attacks, and ensuring seed availability.

He said Pakistan was the fourth largest producer and third largest consumer of cotton. The textile sector contributed 60 per cent to the total earnings of the country, accounts for 46 per cent of the manufacturing and provides employment to 38 per cent of the manufacturing labour force.

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