Punjab achieves 16 percent of cotton sowing targets

Punjab has achieved 16 percent of cotton sowing targets fixed for the sowing season 2013 to fulfil the domestic requirements of the commodity as well as to export it. The sowing is 16 percent higher than that during the same period of last year, said Cotton Development Commissioner in the Ministry of Textile Industry Dr Khalid Abdullah.
Talking to Agency here on Tuesday, he said that up to May 6, cotton crop had been cultivated over 987,756 acres which was recorded at 928,305 acres during same month of last year. He informed that Federal Cotton Committee (FCC) had fixed a target of six million areas for cotton cultivation in the province during current sowing season, he added.
Cotton sowing registered 7.51 percent growth in core areas as about 14.04 percent cultivation of the targets were achieved and crop had been cultivated over 702,046 acres on core areas of cotton sowing, he added. Dr Abdullah said that in non-core areas the crop sowing was completed over 14 percent and 242,569 acres had put under cotton cultivation which was higher than 3.01 percent as compared to last year's sowing, he added.
He informed that 19.45 percent crop sowing in marginal areas was achieved so far which was higher than 8.3 percent as compared to last year's sowing, adding that 43,141 acres of marginal areas land had put under cotton cultivation. Cotton Commissioner further informed that cotton sowing had been completed over 30 percent area set for the recent sowing season, adding that sowing would get boost during the upcoming days as the weather was getting warm which was suitable for cotton sowing.
It may be recalled that FCC has set a target to cultivate cotton crop over six million acres in Punjab which was divided in core, non-core and marginal areas. It has set to cultivate cotton crop over 4999.56 acres of core areas including Sahiwal, Jhang, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Pakpatan and Okara. The crop would be cultivated over 778.151 acres in con-core areas including Kasur, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Nankana Sahib, Khushab and Jehlum, while 221.835 acres are fixed for marginal areas.