LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department has fixed to bring 4 million acres of land under cotton crop this year in the province.

Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo disclosed this while presiding over a meeting on the current situation of cotton here on Friday. He said that direction have been given to all relevant field formations to ensure cotton cultivation on maximum area.

He said that the meetings of the divisional committees should be held regularly under the chairmanship of commissioners and deputy commissioners and public representatives should be invited in these meeting.

He directed all the officers to guide the farmers to cultivate cotton as soon as the land is vacant as a result of the harvesting of the wheat crop. Field activities should be continued even during Eid holidays.

The problems of seed, fertilizer and water supply should be identified in the division and district level committees. Representation and participation of the farmers in the committees should be ensured.

The schedule of water supply in canals and rivers can also be changed keeping in view the sowing situation of cotton crop. Awareness seminars for cotton should be organized at division, district and tehsil levels. Secretary Agriculture added that department is in constant contact with the federal government for the supply of fertilizer in the Kharif season.

The meeting was attended by Director General Agriculture (Pest Warning) Dr Ghulam Abbas, Director General (Crop Reporting), Dr Abdul Qayyum, Director General Agriculture (Ext) Dr Ishtiyaq Hassan, Consultant Agriculture Department, Dr Anjum Ali, Director Agricultural Information, Punjab Naveed Asmat Kahloon while Divisional Directors (Extension) participated through video link.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024