Producing cotton locally
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Ahmed Sobhan
THERE was a time in antiquity when the finest cotton produced in the present territories of Bangladesh was spun into the finest fabric, the fabled Muslin cloth, that royalty in Europe preferred to use to make their attires. Thus, Bangladesh has had a tradition of producing fine quality cotton from ancient times. But this tradition has been lost gradually particularly after the colonial intervention symbolised by the legend of the cutting off of the fingers of Muslin weavers to popularise Lancashire made fabric in colonised India. Ever since that period, cotton cultivation for producing cloth locally, seemed not to figure in the calculation of the ruling elites. In the Pakistan era, cotton was produced cheaply in erstwhile West Pakistan and cotton growing in the former East Pakistan which is today's Bangladesh was discouraged. The neglect has continued after the creation of Bangladesh.
It is a sad story because Bangladesh always had the potential to be among the top producers of cotton in the world. Its climate and soil is suited for cotton cultivation of the best varieties. Presently, a very limited amount of cotton is locally produced mainly in Jessore and neighbouring districts. The present production of cotton in the country is some 0.1 million bales when the total demand is some 1.2 million bales to feed the needs of local spinning mills, the garments sector as a whole and for other uses.
Experts say that cotton cultivation can be extended to many places throughout the country in less cultivated lands and fallow lands. Cotton seedlings can be planted in between trees in guava and mango orchards or even in tree plantation areas meant to produce timber. Besides, at least one cotton crop can be raised in the regular cultivable lands which are presently used to grow rice crops. But it should be possible to raise a cotton crop within four months in between the time that a rice crop is harvested and the fields remain fallow until seeds are sown for another major rice crop. If these things can be done to increase local production of cotton, a lion's share of the country's requirement can be supplied from locally produced cotton. In that case, we would be saving the greater part of some Taka 20 billion we spend now on importing raw cotton.
Apart from this saving, very significant value-additions and competitiveness would be created for the export-oriented garment industry which is the major user of cotton in the country. The production costs for the country's 200 textiles and 270 spinning mills will likely fall significantly from local availability of raw cotton which they now import. The textile and spinning sectors will be in a position to produce at lower average costs and sell their produce to the garments sector at lower price. Thus, the competitiveness of the export-oriented garments sector as a whole will be improved.
The Bangladesh Cotton Development Board (BCDB) is the lone player in the field to bring about more awareness about the possibilities of expanded cotton cultivation in the country. But unfortunately, it has only a namesake presence. Its offices and other capacities are very short of the need. It receives poor budgetary support for its activities and the funds are mainly spent on administrative activities and paying for the salaries and other benefits of staff who are usually found not having anything to do, while the needs of research and extension programmes are suffering from a lack of funds.
In this context, the first task in order is to fully activate the BCDB and strengthen it in every manner to be able to engage in research and extension activities at the fastest. The revamped BCDB should also seek private collaboration with it in different forms to accelerate cotton growing in the country.
THERE was a time in antiquity when the finest cotton produced in the present territories of Bangladesh was spun into the finest fabric, the fabled Muslin cloth, that royalty in Europe preferred to use to make their attires. Thus, Bangladesh has had a tradition of producing fine quality cotton from ancient times. But this tradition has been lost gradually particularly after the colonial intervention symbolised by the legend of the cutting off of the fingers of Muslin weavers to popularise Lancashire made fabric in colonised India. Ever since that period, cotton cultivation for producing cloth locally, seemed not to figure in the calculation of the ruling elites. In the Pakistan era, cotton was produced cheaply in erstwhile West Pakistan and cotton growing in the former East Pakistan which is today's Bangladesh was discouraged. The neglect has continued after the creation of Bangladesh.
It is a sad story because Bangladesh always had the potential to be among the top producers of cotton in the world. Its climate and soil is suited for cotton cultivation of the best varieties. Presently, a very limited amount of cotton is locally produced mainly in Jessore and neighbouring districts. The present production of cotton in the country is some 0.1 million bales when the total demand is some 1.2 million bales to feed the needs of local spinning mills, the garments sector as a whole and for other uses.
Experts say that cotton cultivation can be extended to many places throughout the country in less cultivated lands and fallow lands. Cotton seedlings can be planted in between trees in guava and mango orchards or even in tree plantation areas meant to produce timber. Besides, at least one cotton crop can be raised in the regular cultivable lands which are presently used to grow rice crops. But it should be possible to raise a cotton crop within four months in between the time that a rice crop is harvested and the fields remain fallow until seeds are sown for another major rice crop. If these things can be done to increase local production of cotton, a lion's share of the country's requirement can be supplied from locally produced cotton. In that case, we would be saving the greater part of some Taka 20 billion we spend now on importing raw cotton.
Apart from this saving, very significant value-additions and competitiveness would be created for the export-oriented garment industry which is the major user of cotton in the country. The production costs for the country's 200 textiles and 270 spinning mills will likely fall significantly from local availability of raw cotton which they now import. The textile and spinning sectors will be in a position to produce at lower average costs and sell their produce to the garments sector at lower price. Thus, the competitiveness of the export-oriented garments sector as a whole will be improved.
The Bangladesh Cotton Development Board (BCDB) is the lone player in the field to bring about more awareness about the possibilities of expanded cotton cultivation in the country. But unfortunately, it has only a namesake presence. Its offices and other capacities are very short of the need. It receives poor budgetary support for its activities and the funds are mainly spent on administrative activities and paying for the salaries and other benefits of staff who are usually found not having anything to do, while the needs of research and extension programmes are suffering from a lack of funds.
In this context, the first task in order is to fully activate the BCDB and strengthen it in every manner to be able to engage in research and extension activities at the fastest. The revamped BCDB should also seek private collaboration with it in different forms to accelerate cotton growing in the country.