Environment friendly cotton production to be promoted

LAHORE : The challenging task of cotton revival is essential for the national economy, said Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo while presiding over a high-level meeting at Agriculture House regarding profitable cotton production on Saturday.

A delegation led by Madam Lena Stafgard, Global Chief Operating Officer of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), participated in the meeting. On this occasion, the secretary stated that the target of cultivating cotton on over 3.5 million acres of land in Punjab will be achieved during the current season. He added that in the first phase, cotton has already been sown on 800,000 acres. Field activities have been accelerated to ensure the success of the second phase of cotton cultivation.

The secretary expressed hope that the Government of Punjab will receive full cooperation from BCI. The collaboration between the Punjab Agriculture Department and BCI is crucial for profitable and environment-friendly cotton production. He appreciated BCI's role in the global transfer of modern cotton production technologies.

He further mentioned the desire for BCI’s role in reactivating multi-stakeholder platforms. The future of cotton depends on partnerships with local and international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector.

The meeting was attended by Director Generals of Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon and Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Agriculture Department Consultant Dr M Anjum Ali, Senior Advisor BCI Global Dr. Shafiq Ahmad, Senior Country Manager BCI Dr Qadeer, Senior Manager Programs Khush Bakht, and BCI Partnership Specialist Insa Rabia.