A multi-pronged strategy is being mapped out to increase cotton production in the country besides bringing new areas under cultivation and provide free of cost certified cotton seeds to growers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
During a high-level meeting of the Committee on Enhancement of Cotton Production in Pakistan, constituted on the direction of the President, held here on Tuesday, wherein it was decided that every possible efforts would be made to achieve the target of 15 million bales of cotton this year.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Mir Israrullah Zehri, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Nazar Mohammed Gondal, Rana Farooq Saeed Khan and others. The meeting was informed that "Grow More Cotton" cell has been set up in the Minfa and campaigns would be launched through media and provincial agriculture extension departments. The participants agreed that cotton-sowing technologies will be provided specifically to grower of Balochistan to grow cotton on a vast area in the province.
New areas would be brought under cultivation in Balochistan and other parts of the country through federal government's support. Cotton sowing technologies including drills and ridgers will be provided to growers in Balochistan for encouraging cotton cultivation.
The meeting further decided that pesticides for seed treatment before sowing will be provided free of cost by seed companies. "We have a vast virgin area in Balochistan that could be brought under cultivation to increase the overall cotton production to meet the domestic requirement. Two hundred drills and ridgers would be provided to Balochistan and KP to encourage cotton sowing in the newly explored areas. Market access to such new areas will be provided so that farmers do not face any difficulty in the far flung areas," Zehri said.
Zehri said that potential areas for cotton cultivation identified in Balochistan, KP and Potohar region include Lasbela, Khuzdar, Command Area of Mirani Dam, Sibi, Loralai, Dadar, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Nowshera, Swabi, Chakwal, Attock and Jehlum.
The minister informed the meeting that trainers from Balochistan and KP have been given two weeks training at Multan to educate farmers of their respective provinces. He said that a Hotline (24/7) for providing counselling to farmers will be set up in Multan and Sakrund. Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (Parc) has performed the task of importing germ plasma from the US and other countries.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary Minfa, Shafqat Hussain Naghmi, Secretary Textiles, Rashid Rasheed, Chairman Parc, Dr M Afzal, Chairman Aptma, Gauhar Ijaz, DG National Agriculture Research Centre (Narc), Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, Agriculture Development Commissioner Minfa Inayatullah Khan, Vice President of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, Dr M Arshad and other federal and provincial officials.
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