Pakistan, April 7 -- Two prominent institutes owned by the governments in China and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost Pakistan's cotton production through technological methods, state broadcaster reported on Sunday.

Cotton is one of Pakistan's most important cash crops. At present, Pakistan is the fifth-largest producer of cotton and the third-largest producer of cotton yarn in the world, according to the Ayub Agricultural Institute.

Cotton has a 0.8% share in Pakistan's GDP and a massive 51% share in the country's total foreign exchange earnings. Cotton production in Pakistan has contributed to a vibrant textile industry with over 1,000 ginning factories and around 400 textile mills across the country. ...