Punjab gears up for increasing cotton yield

LAHORE : As Punjab holds a distinctive position in cotton production, focused approach has been adopted for finalising its cultivation strategy in the province, said Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo while presiding over a meeting here at Agriculture House here Wednesday.

Highlighting the preparation of the cotton cultivation plan, Sahoo stated that early cotton cultivation would be carried out in the Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur divisions. Special tasks have been assigned to field formations for early cotton sowing and Divisional and District Cotton Management Committees are being formed to facilitate the cultivation process, he said.

He further said that a special incentive package is under consideration to encourage farmers for early cotton cultivation. Monitoring mechanisms will be implemented to ensure the timely availability of quality seeds in the market. A database of available vacant lands for early cotton cultivation is being compiled, including records of lands vacated after the harvesting of sugarcane, oilseeds, and potatoes, he explained.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab emphasised that a survey of farmers at the village level would be conducted to promote early cotton sowing. Only Triple Gene varieties will be cultivated for the early cotton crop to ensure high yields. Early sown cotton not only yields higher production but also ensures better quality, leading to higher market prices. Moreover, early sown cotton is significantly more resistant to pests and diseases, he added. The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Agriculture Agha Nabeel Akhtar, Additional Secretary Planning Capt (retd) Waqas Rasheed, Director General of Agriculture, Ch Abdul Hameed, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Rana Tajamal, and other senior officials.