Punjab has achieved about 62 percent cotton sowing target with four million acres as against the target of 6.3 million acres. Sources at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) told APP that the federal government's competent authority had fixed 6.323 million acres for the cultivation of cotton during the current season. Against this target cotton sowing on an area of over four million acres has been carried out in the province of Punjab, the sources added.
As for production target, 15 million bales target has been set for the cotton crop 2005-6. The target for the last several years had been around 10.5 million bales but given a bumper crop last year that fetched an output of about 14.6 million bales, the target has been upwardly revised accordingly by the federal government.
In production the share of Sindh is about 25 percent. Balochistan has been allotted a symbolic target in the cotton yield, the sources added.
Meanwhile, director CCRI, Muhammad Islam Gill has advised the cotton growers to cultivate cotton on ridges so that the crop may need less irrigation water, the seed fur must be burnt down with sulphuric acid and the seed must be slightly soaked in appropriate pesticide so that the tiny plant may not yield to any pest attack or the seed during germination.
He stressed upon the farmers to sow only recommended seeds as these have more resistance against diseases, they are early maturing and have more lint content, thus fetching better prices He advised them to grow 25,000 plants in an acre, this will add to their per acre yield.
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