Some Physical and Economic Determinants of Cotton Production in West Pakistan

There has been no increase in area under cotton in West Pakistan during the last 25 to 30 years in spite of a considerable increase in the total area under all other crops over the same period1. This article investigates possible causes of stagnation in West Pakistan’s cotton production. Two possible causes for the failure of cotton-cropped area to expand along with expansion of the total area cropped in West Pakistan during the last 25 to 30 years suggest themselves. These are: