LAHORE, Aug 18 (APP): Pakistan’s cotton sector may be on the verge of a major breakthrough as a newly developed seed variety has shown the potential to nearly triple per-acre yields and withstand extreme heat, raising hopes for revival of the country’s struggling textile backbone.
The new seed, named CEMB-33, had been developed after 25 years of research by the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) at the Punjab University in collaboration with a private agri research company.
It is Pakistan’s first indigenously engineered genetically modified cotton seed.
Field trials in southern Punjab districts, including Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, and Vehari, recorded yields of 40–45 maunds per acre compared to the national average of 15 maunds.
The variety maintained strong boll retention in temperatures above 47°C, produced 10–15 percent more than conventional seeds and delivered better fiber length and uniformity.
Agricultural experts said the results could mark a turning point for cotton farmers who had faced declining production due to early boll drop, flower shedding and pest attacks worsened by climate change.
Cotton was cultivated in 15–18 districts of Sindh and Punjab and remains vital for the economy, contributing nearly 1% to GDP and more than 50% of export earnings through the textile sector.
Private Agri Research Company Chairman Engr Javaid Saleem Qureshi told Wealth Pakistan that CEMB-33 incorporates advanced Bt gene technology, making it resistant to bollworms, tolerant of extreme heat and immune to Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV).
He said the variety also reduces Pakistan’s long-standing reliance on imported Bt seeds.
National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetics Engineering Faisalabad Founding Director Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik told Wealth Pakistan that institutions like NIAB, NIBGE, and CEMB have the capability to develop climate-resilient varieties of cotton, wheat, and other crops.
He noted that Pakistan’s average temperature has already risen by about 1.5°C and cotton and wheat were the biggest victims. Developing crops that could survive heat and drought was now critical for food and fiber security.
Dr Malik, who also heads the federal consultative group on biotechnology, said the group was revising national biosafety guidelines to facilitate the commercialization of locally developed GM seeds like CEMB-33.
Analysts said that the seed’s commercial rollout could restore farmers’ confidence in cotton cultivation, reduce the country’s reliance on imported fiber and strengthen Pakistan’s most vital export industry.
