'PAD striving hard to achieve cotton sowing target'

Secretary Agriculture Punjab Muhammad Mahmood has said that cotton growing has started throughout the province and the department is striving hard to achieve target of cotton sowing on area of 6 million acres. He was speaking at a seminar arranged by the department to create awareness among cotton growers on Wednesday.
He said cotton growers are advised to sow cotton seed of approved varieties which have already been announced by the department. He further said that due to hard work of department and government initiatives cotton production increased up to 14% during financial year 2017-18 as compared to 2015-16.
Seminar was attended by Members of National Assembly Pir Syed Imran Ahmad Wali Shah & Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, Member of Provincial Assembly Malik Arshad, Vice Chancellor Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University Professor Dr Asif Ali, Director General Agriculture (Ext & AR) Syed Zafaryaab Haider, Director General Agriculture (Research) Dr Abid Mehmood, Director Cotton Dr Sageer and large number of farmers.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab further said that department is acting on zero tolerance policy against adulterated pesticides and fake fertilizer sales. In this regard, pesticide inspectors till March 15, made 121 raids and registered 121 FIR while confiscated more than Rs 30 million adulterated pesticides. Mahmood was of the view that cotton bumper crop during this financial year is top priority of Punjab government because whole economy depends on its high production.
He disclosed that provincial government is also devising "2025 Cotton Mission" plan. For immediate relief of cotton growers, government is providing approved varieties of cotton seed up on 50% subsidized rate and also providing subsidy voucher at Rs 700 per cotton bag to cotton growers of the core cotton area. More that Rs 14 million is being spent for provision of agricultural machinery to cotton growers. To save cotton crop against pink bollworm attack, Rs 96.2 million spent on PB ropes that were installed in 50 districts of Punjab on 50 acre blocks.
Moreover, the provincial government has also provided 110,000 smart phones to the farmers equipped with special applications through which extension services are being provided to cotton growers and other crops. For cotton high yield seed production Rs 350.889 million is being spent on "Commissioned Research Programme". For white fly control, Punjab government is spending Rs 39.612 million to provide genetic modified varieties of cotton crop. In nut shell, Government of Punjab is taking various measures to boost up cotton production and save cotton industry.
Mahmood also disclosed that to provide best facilities to cotton growers, this year cotton inspectors training session was also completed and more than 0.4 million literature about latest production technology of cotton crop at village level distributed. 100 spray machines were also distributed among participant free of cost through lucky draw in the seminar.