Efforts afoot to achieve 10m cotton bales target

MULTAN: The fourth meeting of the Cotton Crop Management Group has developed a consensus to consume all resources to accomplish production of 10 million cotton bales with the help of more than 0.9 million farmers trained on modern techniques of cultivation and ruthless crackdown should be initiated against spurious pesticides and adulterated fertilizers.

The meeting was held under the chair of Punjab agriculture secretary Wasif Khurshid here on Friday. The meeting directed the fertiliser controllers and pesticide inspectors to keep vigilant to prevent the spread of adulterated pesticides and fertilisers.

Punjab agriculture secretary Wasif Khurshid said the meeting had decided consuming all resources to achieve the target of 10 million cotton bales in the province. He said the master trainers trained the farmers on most modern techniques of cultivation in cotton growing districts. The master trainers had imparted training to 9,40,113 farmers and also distributed literature among them. The meeting was regularly held to ensure testing of cotton seeds and provision to farmers at maximum level. The staff was recruited in research and pest warning for swift monitoring of crop and district level committees were also formed for healthy growth of cotton. He said free plots of PB ropes were established at 50 acres in 54 tehsils of Punjab likewise the last year. The sex-pheromones trips were installed at union council level in cotton growing districts.

He said the government would hold prize competition this year for giving maximum production. The farmers were provided with spray machines worth Rs140.7 million on subsidised rates. The availability of high quality fertilisers and pesticides was ensured. The government had adopted zero tolerance policy against adulterated pesticide mafia and crackdown would continue against them across the province.