Bangladesh to support cotton growers with incentive

Approximately 12,375 farmers across 26 districts will receive free-of-cost incentives comprising hybrid cotton seeds, urea, Diammonium phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MoP), and pesticides.

Md Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib, executive director of the Cotton Development Board (CDB), emphasised the substantial demand for cotton within domestic industries.

The objective is to meet one-fifth of this demand through increased domestic production.

Despite a significant demand for cotton, Bangladesh primarily relies on imports, with domestically grown cotton meeting only two per cent of the requirement in the 2022-23 marketing year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The CDB aims to expand cotton cultivation areas by 2 per cent annually, from 45,900 hectares in 2023-24 to 47,000 hectares in the upcoming season.

Additionally, they target a 7.5 per cent increase in production, reaching 2.15 lakh bales.

Tabib outlined the distribution of hybrid seeds from various companies and emphasised the strategic expansion of cotton cultivation in areas with low cropping intensity due to limited available land.

This initiative signifies a significant step towards enhancing domestic cotton production, fostering agricultural self-sufficiency, and reducing dependence on imports, thus fortifying Bangladesh’s textile and garment industry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)