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World Cotton Day at a Glance

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World Cotton Day at a Glance

By: Sajid Mahmood

 

In today’s world, days are celebrated with particular perspectives. In the same way, October 7 has been celebrated all over the world as a global commodity since last year, 2019. The main reason for celebrating this day is the encouragement of cotton related industries, individuals, farmers and other stakeholders in the field of cotton in view of the importance of cotton around the world and the real promotion and development of cotton.

Cotton is an important cash crop of our country. It is called Silver Fiber in Pakistan. The share in our exports of raw cotton, cotton yarn, cotton waste yarn, textiles, ready-made garments and many other textile products made from it accounts for more than 60% of our total domestic exports. In addition to providing fiber, food, fuel and animal feed from the cotton crop, it is an important source of income for farmers and provides employment to millions of people from sowing to picking. Besides this, cotton is the source of about 40% of permanent employment opportunities in the textile industry, ginning factories, edible oil extractors and other related industries at the national level. It is safe to say that cotton is the key to the survival of the national economy, as it provides raw materials to about 450 textile mills, 1,245 cotton spinning mills, millions of spindles and more than 5,000 oil extraction units across the country. Cotton crop development is a top priority of the government and the government is pursuing a long-term policy for cotton research and its development.

World Cotton Day has been celebrating with great enthusiasm on October 7 by cotton growing countries and other stakeholders around the world. Last year, four African countries, Kenya Faso, Chad, Mali and Benin, applied to the UN General Assembly to celebrate World Cotton Day internationally. In view of the importance of cotton as a global commodity, the majority vote of the General Assembly approved the request and declared “World Cotton Day” to be celebrated internationally on October 7.

Pakistan is also one of the top five largest producers and consumers of cotton in the world. Pakistan supports World Cotton Day as an opportunity to recognise the importance of cotton as a global commodity. The Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), a subsidiary of the Ministry of National Food Security, Islamabad, Pakistan, has also announced a full-fledged celebration of World Cotton Day in this regard. In this regard, on the special instructions of Dr. Khalid Abdullah, Cotton Commissioner and Vice President, PCCC, exceptional arrangements have been finalized for the celebration of World Cotton Day in cotton research institutes & cotton research stations under the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee across the country.

World Trade Organization (WTO) will host World Cotton Day on October 7, celebrated around the world. On October 7, the WTO, in collaboration with the FAO, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, ITC and the International Cotton Advisory Committee  has finalized its arrangement for various events in the offices of these organizations to mark World Cotton Day.

On the occasion of World Cotton Day, as in other countries, senior government officials in Pakistan, public and private sector businessmen associated with the cotton and textile industries will organise various events in their respective institutions on the importance of cotton. The goals of World Cotton Day are to raise awareness among cotton and its stakeholders about the global importance of cotton, its production, and the cotton trade. In addition, the purpose of the World Cotton Day is to exchange useful information about the improvement and conducive environment over time in the cotton-related donors and beneficiaries of cotton products and the cotton-related businesses, the cotton industry in developing countries. The promotion and production of includes the use of new technologies and encouraging private sector participation in the textile sector. On the occasion of World Cotton Day, importance of natural fiber, increase in cotton production and its promotion and international importance in view of the future of cotton-linked farmers and businesses are included to high light the significant aspects to address the causes of food shortages. The importance of cotton will be highlighted to people around the world through special seminars and events to bring the cotton industry and its demand up to world standards.

World Cotton Day is going to be celebrated on October 7 at the international level by each country at its own level, while the World Trade Organization will celebrate with enthusiasm at its headquarters. Similarly, World Cotton Day is being celebrated at Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, the largest cotton institute in Pakistan. Apart from a large number of male and female cotton farmers on the occasion of World Cotton Day held at Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan, the representatives of fashion industries, ginners, textile industries, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, agricultural universities will participate this event. The Central Cotton Research Institute is organising an information program on the occasion of World Cotton Day in which agricultural exhibition stalls will be set up by various companies at the institute on the importance of cotton. Apart from this, speeches will be given by agricultural scientists in view of the importance of cotton, various tableau programs; poster competitions will also be organised. Billboards will be hung on the famous highways of Multan city and various videos about the importance of cotton will be shown to the people through SMD on the famous highways of the city. In short, the World Cotton Day will in fact highlight the innovative initiatives in the cotton ecosystem and contribute to the further development of cotton.

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