Pakistan, Feb. 18 -- Our government's response to the fast-deepening cotton crisis has been woefully inadequate, resting instead on a misguided sense of pride regarding past bumper crops. This approach has overlooked a crucial opportunity to direct benefits toward the average farmer, whose growing disillusionment has contributed to a dramatic 33 per cent decline in cotton production. Tax-free cotton imports have further complicated matters, leading to ginning factories overflowing with unsold produce while both traders and farmers are burdened with record-high raw cotton inventories.
Consequently, the local cotton industry, essential for the livelihoods of millions and a backbone of our textile sector, is suffocating, making it imperative,...