LAHORE: Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo has asked the field formations to ensure the technical guidance of the farmers about care of cotton crop in the coming months so as to achieve the production target.
He was addressing the technical session organized in MNS Agricultural University, Multan regarding the current situation of cotton and the control of pests and diseases.
While issuing instructions to the field staff of the agriculture department he further said that there was a need to be more alert considering the current weather situation. Negligence at this critical stage of cotton would not be tolerated, the Secretary warned. He directed all the field formations concerned to increase the field visits and ongoing activities to guide the farmers.
Secretary Agriculture, Punjab also directed strict monitoring to ensure availability of standard agricultural pesticides in the market at prescribed rates so as to ensure reduction in production cost of farmers. He said that for better care of cotton, advisory is being delivered to farmers at district and divisional level.
On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture, Punjab directed the Lady Field Officers to provide technical guidance to women pickers for picking cotton free from impurities. He further said that monitoring is being done to review the activities of the field teams.
Director Generals of the agriculture extension and pest warning gave a detailed briefing to the participants about the current situation of cotton and the severity of the attack of insects and diseases on the crop and their remedies.
Secretary Agriculture, Punjab said more such technical sessions should be held to achieve the cotton production target so that all the experts and other stakeholders can share their experiences and solutions regarding the problems faced by the crop and their solutions and able to prepare a detailed action plan after mutual discussion of the issues. He said that achieving higher per acre production of cotton and clean picking is the main goal for which all the stakeholders have to work hard.
Secretary Agriculture, South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel, Vice Chancellor MNS Agricultural University Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, Additional Secretaries Task Force Shabbir Ahmad Khan and Imtiaz Ahmed Waraich, Director General Agriculture Extension Punjab Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, Director General Pest Warning Rana Faqir Ahmed, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Bandisha, Syed Hassan Divisional, District and Tehsil officers of Agriculture Extension and Pest Warning Departments attended the session.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023