Govt takes steps to promote BT cotton
The government was making effective measures for the promotion of BT cotton in the country, as the country has a bumper yield of BT cotton during the current season.
Induction of Bt Cotton needed for raising exports
Cotton is an important cash crop for Pakistan and according to statistics from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association cotton and textiles make up over 60 percent of Pakistan’s $7.5 billion annual export. Zahra Maqbool an expert in Bt Cotton here said that it accounts for 8.2 per cent of the value added in the agriculture sector and about 2% to GDP, also it adds over $2.8 billion to the national economy.
Using BT cotton to save Rs 9,000 per acre.
Pakistani farmers are losing Rs60-63 billion annually on unnecessary pesticide spray on cotton cultivated from normal cotton seed, and are losing their competitive edge to Indian cotton farmers growing BT cotton which requires less pesticide due to resistance to pests
