Cotton cultivation may increase in 2025-26 season

LAHORE: On the back of a significant increase in early sowing of cotton in Punjab, the cultivation of the ‘silver fibre’ may rebound in the 2025-26 season.

By the end of the first phase of sowing, over 800,000 acres had been planted with cotton. Secretary of Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that this season has seen a substantial increase in early cotton sowing. The chief minister of Punjab provided a special incentive package of Rs25,000 for farmers cultivating early cotton. Under the Punjab agriculture department, a timely awareness campaign was launched across six divisions to promote early sowing, resulting in the completion of sowing on more than 800,000 acres -- more than double the area covered last year.

He added that efforts to discourage early rice cultivation during the cotton sowing campaign also yielded positive results. All farmers who undertook early cotton sowing have been registered, with their records validated by a third party.

During the campaign, field staff from the Agriculture Extension Wing personally engaged with 266,000 farmers, of whom 180,000 were registered. Of these, 145,000 farmers actively participated in early cotton cultivation.

Iftikhar Ali Sahoo added that only triple-gene varieties had been recommended for cultivation during the early sowing campaign. Given the prevailing climatic changes, researchers have been tasked with developing climate-smart cotton varieties. He added that the second phase of cultivation is currently underway, with field formations directed to further accelerate cotton advisory services. This crucial phase of cotton cultivation will continue until April 30. The third phase will begin on May 1 and continue until May 25.