Cotton Production Plagued

Sharp falls in production in China, Pakistan and India have pushed up world prices for raw cotton by more than 50% since the beginning of the year. In Pakistan, the 1993-94 crop is nearly 40% below expectations following a severe attack of leaf curl virus—which it is feared could spread to northern India and central Asia in the next few years. The shortfall and its impact on the Pakistani textile industry is likely to reduce GDP by 2%. China and India, the world largest and third largest cotton producers have suffered attacks from the boll worm pest. In the northern regions of China, from which about 75% of national production comes, farmers have been turning to grain and soya bean to avoid risk losing all to the boll worm—which is reportedly beyond the control of pesticides.

Financial Times, 5/5/94 & 25/5/94.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 24, June 1994, page 10]