Punjab Cotton Control Board (PCCB) in its first meeting approved targets of sowing and production of cotton crop for 2012-13, setting a target of growing area of 6.2 million acres, production of 10.5 million bales and average yield of cotton per acre 23.17 Maunds.
The meeting was held here at Lahore under Secretary Agriculture Punjab Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad, a spokesman for the Punjab Agriculture Department said on Tuesday. Dr Anjum Ali Director-General of Agriculture (Extension), Dr Noorul Islam Director-General of Agriculture (Research), Dr Khalid Abdullah Cotton Commissioner, Dr Ajmal Haider Shah Deputy Managing Director of Punjab Seed Corporation, Mukhtar Ahmad Khan Vice-Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Growers Association, Liaquat Ali Arshad Regional Director of the Federal Seed Certification and Registration, APTMA's representative Sheikh Muhammad Akbar, representatives of Excise and Taxation Department, Cotton Ginning Association and a number of cotton growers attended the meeting.
Director-General Agriculture (Extension) Dr Anjum Ali told the meeting's participants that cotton had been sown on an area of 5.926 million acres, which was 5.34 percent less than the last year's cultivation area of 6.261 million acres. He said that according to crop reporting services, production of cotton for last year was 11.129 million bales (170 kg bale), while Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association (PCGA) reported 12.132 million bales in Punjab.
The meeting was also informed that 62,000 tons of seeds were needed for bringing 6.2 million acres of area under cotton cultivation in Punjab, and Punjab Seed Corporation had been directed to provide certified cotton seed of approved varieties to farmers well in time in the coming cotton season.
The board also reviewed and recommended revised cotton ginning/license fees, increasing it from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 and Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,500 for 4- and 5-saw gin machine units, respectively. Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad directed Director-General Agriculture (Extension) to implement the Punjab Cotton Control ordinance of 1966, ensuring and make sure cotton bale weight of 170 kilogrammes. It also recommended to constitute a committee to review terms and conditions for new cotton ginning, pressing and cotton oil seed factories.