The Cotton Development Board (CDB) of Bangladesh is a government agency responsible for promoting and developing the country’s cotton sector. Established in 1972 under the Ministry of Agriculture, the board plays a crucial role in increasing cotton production, improving its quality, and reducing dependence on imports. It provides support to farmers through research, modern cultivation techniques, and extension services. The CDB also collaborates with national & international organizations and stakeholders to enhance cotton farming practices and ensure a sustainable supply for the country’s growing textile and apparel industry, which is a key driver of Bangladesh’s economy.
Textile Focus recently had a perceptive conversation with Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib, Executive Director of CDB, on the future cotton production in Bangladesh and the CDB’s action plans in line with this. Since 1993, he has been employed by the Government for the development of domestic cotton under the Cotton Development Board. He was just named Chair of the standing committee of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) during 2024-25-an international body of cotton growing, consuming and treading countries for cotton commodity recognized by the UN. A brief conversation is given below for our readers.
Textile Focus: What key measures are being taken to enhance domestic cotton production and reduce reliance on imports amid growing textile industry demands?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: The Cotton Development Board was established in Bangladesh in 1972, and cotton cultivation began in the 1976-77 season as experimental basis. Later, in 1991, we started research activities related to cotton development. Currently, we conduct research on cotton, work on its expansion, produce and distribute cotton seeds, and assist private companies in improving seed quality, ginning, marketing and facilitate cotton by-product industry and among other activities. Currently cotton expansion activities are ongoing in about 39 districts across Bangladesh. We carry out expansion activities through 4 regional offices, 13 zonal offices, and 178-unit offices. We have successfully developed 26 varieties of cotton; among them, one is a hybrid variety, and another is of mutant variety.
We have recently released two Bt cotton varieties, which is a regulatory crop, under a regulatory process these varieties have been approved by the NCB (National Committee on Biosafety) and offered an opportunity for the cotton growers in the country protecting from cotton bollwarm. For a payback period of six months at an interest rate set by the Bangladesh Bank, we also give the cotton growers supervised credit for purchasing required farming inputs. We also work on seed cotton selling price to provide fair market price to the cotton growers sales of their seed cotton to multiple ginning companies, spinning mills, and related vendors. Farmers earn good rates and are not misled under our facilitation. As you are aware, relative to demand, we have a small amount of cultivable land in our country for farming. Therefore, from these little land resources, the government seeks to provide food security first. Still, the textile and clothing sector generates most of the significant foreign currencies; cotton is therefore the basic constituent here.
We have data regarding the output of cotton of roughly 2,05,000 bales (37310 metric tones) in the preceding year (2023-24). We can only meet the need for roughly 2-2.5% of the overall demand for cotton domestically. The spinning sector is importing roughly 3 billion USD or around 45 thousand crore taka equivalent cotton from outside markets and about 42 thousand crore for cotton thread. For this reason, the Agriculture Ministry is seeking to generate at least 20 % of the need locally by 2050 for the sustainability of the textile sector as well as saving foreign currencies.
Textile Focus: With limited cultivable land in Bangladesh, what innovative farming practices or technological advancements can help maximize cotton yield?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: Generally, cotton is a deep-rooted, salt-tolerant, drought-tolerant or climate resilient crop. It also has a compensatory growth habit. Most of the crops tend to decline throughout the years when continuous rainfall and drought or other problems occur. But in the case of cotton, even if there is a serious climate change, via adequate management, a good proportion of crop recovery is conceivable.
So, we chose four thrust areas for cotton growing, as they don’t compete in food crop production. We are aiming to grow cotton in those locations where other food crops are not growing effectively. We are effectively planting spinnable cotton crops in such places. An initiative can also be taken to produce cotton in the hill areas, char land areas, drought prone barind areas and orchards in various sections of the country.
Textile Focus: What are the biggest obstacles hindering cotton farming, and how can coordinated efforts between the government and private sector address these challenges?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: One of the main challenges in cotton expansion is its long duration (6-7 months). While other countries like China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and India have shorter-duration varieties (110-120 days), attempts to grow them locally resulted in extended growth periods. This highlights the need for advanced biotechnological research. A project funded by the Islamic Development Bank and TIKA was established during July 2019-December 2023 with Turkey transferred HDPS technology and improve research facilities. Through this, 12 cotton varieties have been transferred and adopted in Bangladesh.
Another challenge is the low planting density our fields hold 30-40K plants per hectare, while countries like Turkey and the USA accommodate 1-2 lakh plants. Consequently, our yield per hectare is 4 tons, whereas Turkey achieves double. High-density planting with short-canopy varieties is crucial for increasing productivity. Manual harvesting is another costly issue, with farmers paying 10-15 Tk per kg. Advanced harvesting machines used globally are not suitable due to small field sizes. As a solution, small cotton picking/plucking machines and defoliant chemicals are being introduced to reduce labor costs and shorten crop duration by 15 days. These advancements could cut cotton farming costs by 50%, significantly benefiting farmers. Also, several companion crops like- spices, legumes, short duration vegetables/leafy vegetables between two lines of cotton crop during the first 60 days of the cotton crop to provide additional benefits to the farmers.
Textile Focus: How is climate change affecting cotton production, and what sustainable solutions are being implemented to safeguard future cultivation? What will be the goal for 2025-26 and necessary steps for achieving the goal?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: As I demonstrated earlier the production of cotton was around 2,05,000 bales which cost approximately 800-900 crore bdt in the previous year. Our estimated target for 2025-26 is to get more than 2,30,000 bales of cotton from the 47000 hectares of land which is considerably 25,000 bales higher than the previous year. There are roughly 65-70 thousand farmers collaborating with us in cotton cultivation. Since the demand for cotton for the textile and clothing sectors is high in our country, we have set a goal to produce 20% of the country’s total cotton demand by 2050. Bangladesh’s government is trying to increase cotton cultivation. The government is granting a 10-crore subsidy to roughly 12,375 farmers for cotton planting to promote cotton farming. Around eight-thousand-taka equivalent cotton hybrid seed, fertilizers, and growth regulator chemicals were distributed to cotton farmers as free of cost in 2023-24 fiscal year (2024-25 cotton season). As per the soil survey report, nearly two lakh hectares of land is suitable for cotton cultivation, although impeding food crops in the thrust areas. We have devised a roadmap to create five lakh bales of cotton within 2030 and will further elevate it to nineteen lakh bales within 2050.
Textile Focus: How can Bangladesh’s engagement with global platforms like ICAC be leveraged to boost investment, innovation, and competitiveness in the cotton industry?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: Members of cotton-producing, cotton-consuming, and cotton-trading nations make up the ICAC. ICAC is an inter-governmental organization recognized by the UN for cotton commodity established in 1939. The aim of the ICAC is to serve the cotton and textile community through promotion, knowledge sharing, innovation, collaborations, and providing a forum for debate of cotton issues of international relevance with a vision of prosperity through a sustainable cotton sector. A total of 27 countries are part of ICAC right now. They perform data analysis and research work as a coordinating agency for the member nations related to cotton development advocacy. ICAC will strive to organize several international events consisting of cotton-producing, consuming and treading countries. These programs promote information sharing and market sharing improvising market circumstances.
Textile Focus: What policy interventions are necessary to stabilize the cotton market, protect spinning mills, and navigate economic challenges such as currency fluctuations?
Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib: Spinning mills have traditionally outsourced cotton from different countries, which requires significant investment. If we can strive to build a domestic contract farming system, then we can mitigate these concerns. There are a lot of unutilized and less intensive lands and lands of sugar mills, which might be provided to spinning mills to grow and produce cotton. For Example- Armada spinning mill has started ginning and contract farming. So, if the spinning mills or other investors can construct a contract farming system, they can derive advantage in two ways. Firstly, the foreign currency will be saved and domestic cotton production raised simply. The administration must endeavor to build viable policies in the long run. The Agriculture Ministry is already planning to enhance cotton production without harming food crops. The combined effort of the Ministry of Textile & Jute and the Ministry of Commerce can produce a favorable influence in domestic cotton production. Also, initiation of a well-defined cotton policy and declare cotton as an agricultural crop will benefit domestic production.
