Cotton sowing rises by 164 percent

Sindh province has so far achieved 28 percent of proposed cotton cultivation targets while cotton sowing has increased by 164 percent compared to same time last year which is a positive sign for crop sowing across the country. The province has cultivated the cotton at over 183,000 hectares of land as against its proposed targets of about 650,000 hectares during the current crop season of 2011-12.
This was stated by Cotton Development Commissioner in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MinFA), Khalid Abdullah. He said the country is set to produce 15 million cotton bales this year and added the total targeted areas for the cotton cultivation would be finalised in the 94th meeting of Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA). It was also noted that according to field reports received in the Punjab province, the crop has been sown at over 273,347 hectares, achieving 11 percent of the target for the season as it has proposed to cultivate cotton at over 2.5 million hectares.
In Balochistan, he said that cotton was cultivated in 19 districts, adding that in the cae of seven of these districts there would be concerted efforts on enhancing crop output to increase farm income as well as alleviating poverty in these areas. The government was focusing on the districts including Turbet, Khuzdar, Lesbala, Sebbi, Loralahie, Khran and Kohelo of Balochistan to enhance crop production by cultivating it over 100,000 acres of land to fulfill the domestic requirements of local textile industry as well as for exports. In additon, he said that the initiative would help to increase cotton production in the country and alleviating poverty in these areas.
Abdullah said that 33 percent of certified seed was available for farmers while remaining consumption would be fulfilled by the farmers’ own seeds which were shared amongst farmers in their respective areas. The regulatory bodies are keenly observing the distributions of pesticides, seeds and other inputs for avoiding the adulteration in inputs adding that concerned authorities were directed not to tolerate any violation in this regard, he added.