Cotton economy of Pakistan

The unifying theme for this study is the interaction of economics, technology, institutions, and politics as they relate to Pakistan"s price and trade policies for cotton and cotton textiles. Part I of this report: (1) summarizes cotton"s role in Pakistan"s economy, highlighting both macroeconomic and sectoral linkages; (2) summarizes the country"s cotton sector policies and analyzes their consequences both for the economy and for the various participants in the cotton sector; (3) examines more closely the roles and interactions of the various cotton sector institutions involved in the continual tug of war over Pakistan"s cotton pricing and trade policies; and (4) generalizes the preceding analyses by placing them in the broader context of Pakistani politics and seeking political economic explanations for cotton sector policies. Part II provides a detailed description of the performance of Pakistan"s cotton sector in terms of the production and exports of cottons and textiles. (Author abstract)