Expert Group consisting of Agricultural Scientists and progressive farmers has been constituted to formulate cotton strategies within two weeks. This was decided in a meeting of Cotton Crop Management Group at Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan. Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Minister for Agriculture, Punjab presided over the meeting, says an agricultural department official here on Tuesday.
Arif Nadeem, Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agriculture (Ext. & A.R), Dr Ejaz Pervaiz, Director General (Pest Warning & Quality Control of Pesticides), Dr Abdul Rasheed, Director General Agriculture (Research), Muhammad Arshad, Director Central Cotton Research Institute Multan, Progressive Farmers, representatives of pesticide companies and dealers and other functionaries of the department participated in the meeting.
Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Minister for Agriculture, Punjab stressed the functionaries of Agriculture Department to guide the farmers against effective control of Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV). Secretary Agriculture informed on this occasion that Government is going to introduce new Cotton Leaf Curl Virus resisting BT varieties of cotton with collaboration of Monsanto, which will ensure interests of farmers and textile industry as well.
Dr Ejaz Pervaiz said that attack of CLCV is more as compared to last year and CLCV resistant is need of time. Minister for Agriculture requested the cotton growers to keep an eye on their crop and to follow the advice of experts of Agriculture Department and assured that Government is ready to provide productive funds for the improvement in agriculture sector.