Pakistan’s decision to allow cottonseed imports is unlikely to affect the ongoing crop cycle due to delays in issuing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), with the sowing season nearing completion, Dawn reported. Under the approved framework, importers can bring in hybrid cottonseed on a trial basis, but commercial use will only be allowed after two years of testing across different cotton-growing regions and certification by relevant authorities. Industry stakeholders said the late rollout of SOPs has reduced the policy’s immediate relevance, as most farmers have already completed or are close to completing sowing.

The move to allow imports followed concerns over declining yields from locally developed seed, but its timing has limited short-term benefits. According to the SOPs, imported seeds will be evaluated for fibre quality, yield characteristics and resistance to factors such as cotton leaf curl virus, temperature variations and water stress. Only seeds meeting performance benchmarks after multi-year trials will qualify for wider use.

The policy restricts imports and production to registered seed companies and research institutions, excluding individuals and unregistered entities. Industry representatives said broader challenges in the cotton sector extend beyond seed quality. They pointed to the expansion of sugarcane cultivation in traditional cotton-growing areas, which has altered local conditions and contributed to the spread of crop diseases.

Regions with limited sugarcane cultivation, including parts of Sindh, Balochistan and Cholistan, continue to produce higher-quality cotton, indicating that environmental and policy factors remain critical to output. Stakeholders have called for enforcement of crop zoning regulations to limit sugarcane expansion in cotton zones, citing a decline in cotton acreage in key districts such as Rahim Yar Khan. They also questioned the effectiveness of relying on imported hybrid seed alone, noting that consistent performance has yet to be established globally. Officials said timely policy implementation and structural reforms would be required to improve cotton output in the coming seasons.