Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suspended the heads of two vital agricultural research organizations in Pakistan. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), and Dr. Yusuf Zafar, vice president of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), have been removed due to their failure to tackle the cotton production crisis.

This decision follows numerous complaints from farmers and experts about inaction in the cotton sector. Many demanded urgent reforms to protect the agricultural economy. Reports indicate that both organizations have neglected essential research on cotton for over a decade, contributing to a severe decline in production.

Pakistan’s cotton output has dropped dramatically, from 14 million bales in 2012-13 to only 5 million bales in the current fiscal year. This decline has significantly impacted the agricultural economy. Despite the urgency, PARC and PCCC have not developed new cotton varieties to counter climate change effects.

The Prime Minister expressed frustration upon learning that neither organization had conducted meaningful research in the last ten years. Additionally, funding issues at PCCC, linked to the lack of a cotton cess, further complicated the situation. Complaints about the failure to produce climate-resistant cotton varieties heightened tensions within the farming community.