Agriculture expert, Bahadur Ali Shah has said that cotton crops has been sown on 20 percent less of the target area fixed this year for cultivation of the crops. However, farmers are trying to sow cotton crops reaching nearly end of the season.
It is obvious that the cultivated area will be less due to popularity of the rice price hike in this season, he observed. Shah said that businessmen dealing in rice business are expecting a high price for the coming rice crops in 2008.
The only hindrance in cultivation of rice is shortage of irrigation water, which is compelling farmer's community to sow cotton crops in the remaining area. Otherwise, the present scenario of cotton crops demands to replace the cultivation with some other beneficial crops.
Further, the expert said that in southern Punjab, the cultivation is delayed and early sown crops are now under attack of White Fly, Mites and Mealy Bug. During recent visits in the fields of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Pakpattan, it is found that the cotton variety BT 121 is affected due to high pest pressure. Moreover, the variety is under maximum pressure of high temperature, Shah added.
'Healthy plants are being dried out suggesting that this variety is not heat resistant' he viewed. The flower shedding is also witnessed more than other varieties of BT nature or other conventional varieties.
Farmers are very much afraid of this situation because, if the current situation prevails then per acre yield would decrease very sharply badly affecting the national targets. Therefore, only rains could help to overcome the crisis and save the crops as well as the farmers, he concluded.
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