LAHORE: The Punjab Government has sprayed a total of 57,000 acres in the Dera Ghazi Khan Division with modern chemistry pesticides, out of which 8,000 acres received help through the latest power sprayers.

The effort has resulted in significantly reduced attacks of whiteflies in this area, said the Secretary of Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo while speaking at a review meeting held here on Tuesday.

Special teams of the Agriculture Department were accompanying the farmers during this time. He further said that steps should be taken on a priority basis to supply water to the tail end of the farmers in the cotton areas by next month to get full production of the cotton crop.

Director General Agriculture (Extension) Dr. Ishtiaq Hasan, Director General Agriculture (Pest Warning) Punjab Rana Faqir Hussain, Director General Agriculture, Crop Reporting Dr. Abdul Qayyum were present in the meeting while Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Irrigation Department officers and Divisional Directors of Agriculture Extension participated through video link.

Secretary Agriculture was briefed that the cotton crop situation was satisfactory and harvesting of spring crops was in progress while harvesting of seasonal crops has also been started now. Guidance on cotton crop irrigation, nutrition and pest management was provided to farmers during this month. So far this year, the production of cotton in South Punjab had been doubled as compared to last year. The cotton market was stable and farmers were getting better rates.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab urged the district administration officers to solve the issues related to cotton crop on a daily basis so that the production target could be achieved.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023