Climate Change Could Trigger Pakistan’s Biggest Cotton Crisis Yet

Pakistan’s cotton industry is facing the threat of a historic decline in production as an intense heatwave, prolonged dry weather, and severe water shortages damage crops across key growing regions, raising concerns over higher imports, factory shutdowns, and job losses.

According to industry officials, soaring temperatures, zero rainfall, and acute canal water shortages, particularly in Sindh, have severely affected the cotton crop. Extreme heat has caused widespread wilting and increased pest attacks, including mites and lice, reducing both crop yields and fiber quality.

The worsening supply situation has already driven cotton prices higher. Lint prices rose by Rs. 400 per maund over the past week to Rs. 18,200 in Punjab and Rs. 17,700 in Sindh, with traders warning that prices could climb further as supplies tighten.

The crisis is also disrupting Pakistan’s textile supply chain. Limited cotton arrivals have forced several ginning factories and textile mills to scale back or suspend operations.

In Tando Adam, Sindh, ginning factories reportedly shut down only a month after starting operations, while Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab’s second largest cotton producing region, has no operational ginning factories in mid July for the first time in 15 years.

Industry leaders say the sector is also struggling with an 86 percent sales tax burden on ginning, which they claim remained unresolved in the latest federal budget. They warn that continued factory closures could lead to widespread job losses across the textile industry.

In response, the Punjab Agriculture Department has issued an emergency advisory urging farmers to irrigate crops more frequently using smaller amounts of water and apply micronutrients, including boron and potassium nitrate, to reduce heat stress and protect cotton plants.

Chairman of the Cotton Ginners Forum, Ihsanul Haq, criticized the government’s economic priorities, arguing that greater investment in industrial development could help revive more than 1,600 industrial units and reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imports and external financial assistance.

He urged both the federal and provincial governments to prioritize business and industrial growth to support the country’s textile sector and broader economy.