Three major Pakistani denim producers, Artistic Milliners, US Denim and Farooq Spinning Mills, have begun making fabrics blending cotton with hemp, according to South Asia Investor.
Pakistan's government launched an industrial hemp program last year, presenting hemp as a sustainable alternative to cotton. Once the fourth-largest cotton yarn exporter after China, India and the United States, Pakistan now has cotton farmers facing low prices and a shortage of quality seed and considering long-term alternatives.
Artistic Milliners' Intelli Jeans collection currently contains a cotton–hemp blend sourced from China. The range is marketed as sustainable and naturally antimicrobial. An integrated denim manufacturer and global conglomerate, Artistic Milliners operates a consumer experience center in Dubai, an innovation incubator in Soho, New York City, and a production facility in Los Angeles.
US Denim is a fabric mill supplying fashion through partnerships with leading international brands including Levi's, H&M and Marks & Spencer. Focusing on sustainability in its collections, it uses materials containing recyclable and biodegradable fibers such as hemp.
Farooq Spinning Mills marketing director Asad Farooq recently told BBC Urdu that the company had signed a memorandum of understanding to begin mass production for a US-based company.
Research continues
Scientists at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad are supporting Pakistan's hemp textile movement by developing sustainable blends containing hemp.
Pakistan approved government-controlled cultivation last September, suggesting the industry could become a $1 billion market within three years. Farms for hemp production subsequently began being established in Jhelum, Peshawar, Chakwal and Islamabad.
For now, production remains entirely under government control. Private businesses and individual farmers may be allowed into the market later to support industry development.
