Official says cotton plan implementation can help country fetch $3bn

LAHORE: Implementation of Cotton Action Plan 2023-24 will make it possible to earn $3 billion in foreign exchange, said Punjab Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo presiding over a review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office Dera Ghazi Khan regarding cotton cultivation.

He said cultivation of cotton on a large area is a challenging task for which district administration, agriculture department and other stakeholders are working together.

Commissioner DG Khan D. Nasir Mahmood Bashir, Deputy Commissioners of DG Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh along with Director General Agriculture (Extension) Punjab Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agriculture (Pest Warning) Rana Faqir Ahmad, Directors and Deputy Directors of Agriculture Extension and Pest Warning Department from DG Khan Division, progressive farmers and others attended the meeting.

Sahoo said that this year, in Dera Ghazi Khan Division, 0.971 million acres area is being brought under cotton cultivation for which the district administration is providing full support to the field staff of the agriculture department.

He said that the irrigation department should ensure the availability of canal water during cotton cultivation. He said that the field staff should provide technical guidance and support to the farmers and compile the data of all farmers. He further said that Government of Punjab has taken several steps under the historical package of cotton revival this year which will make cotton a profitable crop for the farmers.

Also for encouragement, a Cotton Production Competition 2023 is being organized, under which the farmers who take significant production will be given cash prizes of millions of rupees at provincial and district levels. He directed to check the counter data from Revenue Department about cotton sowing.

He said that Cotton Committees headed by Deputy Commissioners should hold regular weekly meetings and solve the problems faced in cotton cultivation immediately. He said students of training institutes should be appointed to meet the staff shortfall.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023