The five day International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) meeting concluded in Islamabad with member-countries pledging to adopt innovative-cutting edge technologies for improving cotton production at lower costs, and strengthening the value-chain that would make competitive. The meet was held from October 30 to November 4.

A statement issued at the end of the 75th plenary meeting on Emerging Dynamics in Cotton: Enhancing Sustainability in the Cotton Value Chain said government policies should focus on allowing prices to fluctuate with market forces, increasing funding for agricultural research, and implementing science-based regulations that allow technology development and adoption. The concluding session was presided over by ICAC executive director JoseSette while the secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry Pakistan Hassan Iqbal was the chief guest. Sette said one of the greatest challenges for the cotton sector in Pakistan was energy shortage, which needed to be addressed on an urgent basis for industrial growth in the textile sector. Pakistan possesses huge potential in cotton production and textile manufacturing to penetrate in the international market, he added. The event, organised by the Ministry of Textile Industry in collaboration with ICAC, was attended by 378 persons, including 14 representatives from members, four international-member organisations and four non-member countries.