Experts have called for coordinated action to expand cotton cultivation in Bangladesh, highlighting its potential as a climate – adaptive and economically viable crop.

They mentioned that although Bangladesh is the world’s second largest exporter of ready-made garments, around 97 % of the cotton used by the country’s textile industry is imported, costing the country more than $3 billion annually.

These observations were made at the “National Dialogue on Cotton: Its Future Opportunities as a Climate Adaptive Crop,” organised by BRAC’s Climate and Environmental Innovation Programme (CEIP) at the BRAC Centre in Mohakhali, Dhaka, on Thursday.

The dialogue examined the structural barriers to expanding domestic cotton production and explored practical measures relating to policy, research, financing, agricultural extension services, market development, and post-harvest management.

Speaking at the event, Md. Rezaul Amin, executive director (Routine Duties) of the Cotton Development Board, said that cotton is a beneficial crop from multiple perspectives. In addition to increasing farmers’ incomes, cotton cultivation can contribute to climate change adaptation and generate employment opportunities across the value chain. He added that the government is providing incentives to encourage farmers to cultivate cotton.

Dr Md Liakath Ali, director of BRAC’s Climate and Environmental Innovation Programme (CEIP) and Disaster Risk Management Programme (DRMP), said that cotton offers a promising alternative in areas where agricultural production has been affected by climate change. He emphasised that expanding cotton cultivation across the country would require close collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, development organisations, and other stakeholders.

Dr. M. Farid Uddin, Senior Agronomic Adviser/Consultant at CottonConnect South Asia Private Limited and former Executive Director of the Cotton Development Board, said that Bangladesh currently cultivates cotton on approximately 45,000 hectares of land, producing an estimated 200,000 bales annually (each bale weighing 220 kilograms), meeting only around 2 per cent of national demand. He also noted that cotton is a carbon-positive crop and that the government officially declared cotton an agricultural commodity one year ago.

Among those attending the event was Mitali Chakma, a cotton farmer from Manikchhari in Rangamati. She said, “I received seeds and training from the Cotton Development Board. I have been cultivating cotton for the past three years. There is considerable interest in cotton cultivation among farmers. With the necessary support, cotton cultivation can expand significantly across the Chattogram Hill Tracts.”

Participants observed that the challenges facing cotton production extend beyond cultivation itself. Cotton competes with rice, tobacco, and high-value winter vegetables for agricultural land. Harvesting remains largely manual, while farmers continue to face constraints in accessing finance, agricultural inputs, extension services, storage facilities, ginning services, and reliable markets.

The discussion also highlighted the significant potential for cotton cultivation in climate-vulnerable regions, including the Barind Tract, coastal saline areas, riverine chars, and the Chattogram Hill Tracts. As a heat- and drought-tolerant crop, cotton requires less water than rice, making it a suitable option for climate adaptation and livelihood diversification. Participants also noted that replacing tobacco cultivation with cotton in selected regions could provide farmers with a more sustainable alternative.

The dialogue opened with remarks by Abu Sadat Moniruzzaman Khan, Programme Head, Climate and Environmental Innovation Programme (CEIP), BRAC.

Other speakers included Dr. Abed Chaudhury, Independent Agro-specialist; Md. Kutub Uddin, Deputy Director (HQ), Cotton Development Board; Md. Manirul Islam, Additional Director (Cash Crop), Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE); and Prof. Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, Professor (Department of Agroforestry), Bangladesh Agricultural University.