Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Central President Sardar Zafar Hussein Khan has urged the federal government to immediately announce a cotton policy as growers are being exploited in absence of such a policy. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that prices of agricultural inputs including fertiliser and petroleum products had increased manifold and cotton prices also needs upward revision in the light of increase in input cost.

He demanded that the government should fix 'phutti' price at Rs 4000 per maund and ensure that the cotton growers should not be exploited by any stakeholder. He said that sugar mills should not be allowed in cotton area and steps should be taken to increase area under cotton sowing.

Sardar Zafar stated that cotton not only meet domestic requirement but we also earn precious foreign exchange through export of its products. He said that the government should immediately levy duty on import of cotton to increase the income of domestic growers. Reiterating his demand, he said that the government should protect the interests of the cotton growers and immediately announce a cotton policy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012