LAHORE: Caretaker Agriculture Minister Punjab, S M Tanvir said on Saturday that a 19-year master plan will be announced in next two months to develop the agriculture sector.

He was speaking at a ceremony arranged in connection with the World Cotton Day by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association. Tanvir represented Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi.

Addressing the ceremony, the minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team worked hard to increase area under cotton cultivation and production and resultantly more than 10 million bales of cotton would be obtained this year.

He said that the purpose of celebrating the World Cotton Day is to highlight the importance of cotton not only in Pakistan but also globally. There are important steps to be taken to prevent water wastage. Greater Thal Kanal project will be completed and 58 small dams will be activated in Potohar region.

He said that cotton production has to be increased by using modern technology. He said that the South Punjab has a unique position in terms of cotton production. Supply of high quality pesticides to farmers is being ensured. Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo while addressing the ceremony said that our economy is based on agriculture and cotton is the most important cash crop.

Cotton rehabilitation campaign started in April which yielded favourable results for our economy. This year, the area under cotton cultivation has increased by 50%. The production of cotton will be doubled this year.

On this occasion, former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, former federal ministers Syed Khurshid Shah, Abdul Rehman Kanju, Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Saqib Zafar, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahu, Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Attil, Vice Chancellor MNS Agricultural University Rao Asif Ali, Chairman Pakistan Cotton Yarns Association Waheed Arshad, agricultural experts, farmers, industrialists and foreign delegates were also present.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023