LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has established 62 Kissan Sahulat Centers in cotton growing areas of the province with the objective to provide quality pesticides and other agricultural inputs to the growers at discounted prices.

Speaking at a review meeting at the Agriculture House on Friday, the Secretary for Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Sahoo said that the growers can also benefit from the expert advisory services available at these Sahulat Centers.

He said 3.4 million acres of land had been brought under cotton cultivation this season with aim to boost production and meet a target of 6.5 million cotton bales. Field formations have been tasked to achieve this goal.

He instructed officials to provide timely weather-based advisories to cotton farmers, especially on crop care during and after rains. Vigorous pest scouting and technical support on pesticide usage were also prioritized, emphasizing targeted spraying based on identified hot spots.

Furthermore, he urged the daily compilation of cotton arrival data at ginning factories and stressed zero tolerance for any lapses in technical guidance to farmers.

The meeting was attended by Director General Agriculture Extension Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Consultant Agriculture Department Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali and other senior officers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024