Uzbek investment in Pakistan’s cotton production will include advanced technical assistance as well as a visit from Uzbek agronomists who can advise on soil management and crop production in Punjab province. The news announcement was made during Punjab governor Chaudhry Sarwar’s visit to Uzbekistan, which is among the top 10 suppliers of raw cotton in the world with exports valued at $281 million in 2019.

The investment will be welcome news for fashion brands, many of which are increasingly looking to diversify cotton sources after allegations of human rights abuses in production sites in Xinjiang, China surfaced.