Leaf curl virus spread: use of poor quality cotton seeds main reason

The research institutions have termed the use of unattested and poor quality seeds the major reason for the spread of leaf curl virus on cotton crops. According to the sources, cotton crop has been cultivated on millions of acres in different cities of southern Punjab. But the seed provided by federal and provincial research institutions was not cultivated even at 20 percent area.
BT cotton is cultivated on more than 80 percent area in southern Punjab during the current cotton season. Multan is the biggest center of seed of southern Punjab where more than 300 seed companies have sold unattested and low quality seed due to which cotton crops are under the severe attack of uncontrollable virus. Seed companies claimed at the time of selling that their seeds are "virus proof" but now they are not accepting any responsibility.
On the other hand, Federal Seed Certification (FCC) is busy in protecting the interests of seed companies instead of taking action against such companies. It is feared that in the current situation farmers would have to face financial crisis.