Cotton farmers urged to hold out for ‘fair prices’

The caretaker government has called for strict enforcement of the cotton support prices set earlier this year, with Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday ordering action against those exploiting the situation and buying cotton below the predetermined rate of Rs8,500 per 40kg. Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who met PM Kakar to discuss the issue, also separately urged cotton farmers to resist selling their crops below the intervention price. He noted that cotton prices in the province had plummeted way beyond the official support price. Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif fixed the present support price in March this year. On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office said Mr Kakar took notice of cotton purchases below the support price and directed the Trading Cor­po­ration of Pakistan (TCP) to take cognisance of the issue and file a report in this regard.