Bangladesh targets to grow 1.0 million bales cotton by 2030

[Black_cats]

Bangladesh targets to grow 1.0 million bales cotton by 2030​

Published: November 16, 2022 16:52:18 | Updated: November 16, 2022 17:30:40

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File photo (Collected)

Bangladesh has set a target to increase five times cotton production by 2030, introducing new varieties and expanding cultivation areas, since the country appeared as the second largest consumer of the industrial crop.

“Cotton could be a major cash crop as we need to spend US$3.0 billion every year for its import to meet its expanding demand in the textile industry,” Cotton Development Board’s (CDB) additional director Dr Md Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib said.

The country currently produces less than 0.2 million cotton bales (1 bale equals roughly 480 pounds) a year against the annual demand for 8.5 million bales, according to official statistics.

Against the backdrop of high demands, Bangladeshi textile and spinning mills and other users import cotton from India, the United States, several African and Central Asian nations, Australia, Brazil and Pakistan, reports BSS.

Tabib said they set the target to enhance the domestic cotton production to 1.0 million bales using newly invented high-yielding and hybrid varieties and using the vast low fertile barren lands in the country’s southeastern hill region alongside some plain districts.

Western Jhenaidah and Jashore are plain districts while parts of Bandarban and Rangamati are hill districts where the country currently witnesses cotton production.

The cotton board now runs 27 on-farm trials at 13 zones covering greater Jashore, greater Kushtia, Rajshahi, Bogura, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Dhaka, Mymensingh and the three hill districts incorporating Khagrachari as part of their initiatives.

CDB officials said the trial of germplasm of 12 high-yielding Turkish cotton varieties were now underway at research farms under a project called Enhancing Capability in Cotton Varieties Development.

“We are expanding (cotton) cultivation coverage on low-fertile regions of – Barind land (greater Rajshahi), drought-and saline-prone areas, shoals and hilly areas, keeping in mind the initiative does not affect the main crops,” Tabib said.

He said the CDB scientists last year developed a new cotton variety named it “CDB Cotton 19” alongside inventing two cultivation methods under a series of research projects in five cotton research centres of the country.

“Our researches simultaneously improved the cotton qualities alongside the varieties,” Talib said.

Cotton is mainly sown in the July-August period and harvested in between December and January and currently its cultivation is spread over 45,000 hectares while the figure was 31,500 hectares in 2009-2010.

Over the past one decade the production volume nearly doubled since ity was less than 100,000 bales in 2009-2010.

According to CDB officials, raw or seed cotton production was about 2,000 kg per hectare in 2009-10 which now stands at 4,000 kg per hectare with introduction of high yielding and hybrid varieties.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established the Cotton Development Board (CPD) in 1972 to increase cotton production.

The CPD is enstructed with the task of conducting research, producing, distributing and marketing seeds, expanding cotton cultivation and distributing loans among farmers.

Bangladesh targets to grow 1.0 million bales cotton by 2030

Bangladesh has set a target to increase five times cotton production by 2030, introducing new varieties and expanding cultivation areas, since the country appeared as the second largest consumer of the industrial crop. “Cotton could be a major cash crop as we need to spend US$3.0 billion every...

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Why we are growing cotton? We should be growing more food items. We have to import massive amounts of rice every year! And rice is our staple grain...

 

[Skull and Bones]

It’s tragic to see fertile land is being used to grow cotton.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Why we are growing cotton? We should be growing more food items. We have to import massive amounts of rice every year! And rice is our staple grain...

True, whether we grow 0.2 million bales or 1.0 million bales, Bangladesh will remain overwhelmingly dependent on importing cotton. So there is no point to divert precious land to this water and land hungry crop. Rather this land should be use to grow more food crop to lessen food import. Maize production need to increase at least double to boast domestic animal feed production. Maize will give most in return per unit area of land for Bangladesh.

 

[BananaRepublicUK]

Why we are growing cotton? We should be growing more food items. We have to import massive amounts of rice every year! And rice is our staple grain...

Bangladeshi primitives need to consume a lot less rice. Meat, wheat and dairy consumption needs to go up massively.

As does fruits and vegetables.

 

[mb444]

Why we are growing cotton? We should be growing more food items. We have to import massive amounts of rice every year! And rice is our staple grain...

They are using non fertile land not suitable for other products. BD needs to make its land for itself and if it can utilise otherwise unproductive lands I think it is a good idea.

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Bangladeshi primitives need to consume a lot less rice

It will not happen. Rice is our staple grain because our land and weather. And new nutrition rich Rice varieties will help...

Meat, wheat and dairy consumption needs to go up massively.

We aren't even self-sufficient on our staple grain rice. How we are going to feed massive number of cattles? Fish will help here...

As does fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable consumption is fine and we are self sufficient on veg produces. Fruits and spices are totally import dependant.

We have very little landmass with massive population. Food and employment will always give us headache...

They are using non fertile land not suitable for other products

Non fertile land in Bangladesh! Where?

 

[mb444]

It will not happen. Rice is our staple grain because our land and weather. And new nutrition rich Rice varieties will help...

We aren't even self-sufficient on our staple grain rice. How we are going to feed massive number of cattles? Fish will help here...

Vegetable consumption is fine and we are self sufficient on veg produces. Fruits and spices are totally import dependant.

We have very little landmass with massive population. Food and employment will always give us headache...


Non fertile land in Bangladesh! Where?

I am going by the article, the areas they are targeting is clearly detailed in the article. I can not counter or add anything to that.

Are you saying those areas are fertile and cotton is substituting land currently used to grow other crops?

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

Are you saying those areas are fertile and cotton is substituting land currently used to grow other crops?

Yes. Those areas can be used to grow vegetables, spices or at least cattle food. Food security should be our first priority...

 

[mb444]

Yes. Those areas can be used to grow vegetables, spices or at least cattle food. Food security should be our first priority...

Then I change my mind and am in total agreement with you.

I interpreted the article to mean cotton is being grown on land where currently nothing at all is being grown

 

[bluesky]

"Before the floods, Punjab was expected to produce 5.5 million bales and Sindh 3.5 million bales in the current season. However, now Pakistan will produce around 5.5 million bales".

Producing cotton in BD will remain inefficient, another subsistence farming. Read above. Pakistan produces 5.5 million bales of cotton. Imports from Pakistan will save both countries. Pakistani farmers will increase their production.