Brazilian cotton producers have assured Pakistan of extending their full technical support for significantly increasing local cotton production.
The assurance was given by a delegation comprising representatives of Brazilian Cotton Producers Association, Brazilian Cotton Shippers Association and Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency at a meeting at the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Lahore office.
Both sides agreed to enhance mutual cooperation to strengthen ties in the cotton sector, while exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan. They discussed the significant potential for collaboration in cotton and textile industries as well as expanding trade and investment in other key areas.
The delegates acknowledged Pakistan’s strong potential for growth in the textile sector and underscored the importance of continued engagement and dialogue with their counterparts to increase trade and fully capitalise on economic partnership between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Aptma Chairman Kamran Arshad gave a detailed presentation, where he stressed the need for deepening trade ties by facilitating technology transfer for high-yielding cotton seeds. He also called for inviting international seed companies having transgenic technology to Pakistan.
The chairman expressed hope that discussions with Brazilian delegates would yield significant benefits for Pakistan’s textile sector, including the greater adoption of sustainable cotton farming practices, improved transparency in supply chain and enhanced competitiveness in global markets.
Aptma Chairman North Zone Asad Shafi advocated for promoting linkages between Pakistan’s textile industry and Brazilian cotton producers. These initiatives include the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Aptma and Brazilian Cotton Producers Association, establishment of cotton warehouses in Pakistan to serve regional markets and strengthening linkages.
Additionally, both sides discussed collaboration in cotton traceability, the introduction of improved, genetically modified and certified seeds, as well as synergies with Pakistan’s cotton research institutes. They also underlined the necessity of capacity building of agricultural research institutes, training in contamination-free cotton production and forming joint ventures.
The Aptma leadership pointed out that they had established the Aptma Cotton Foundation to address challenges of cotton production, from seed certification to traceability and sustainability. The foundation has commenced operations and will achieve its objectives in a short time span with technical support from Brazilian cotton producers.
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/