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MULTAN, Feb 19 (APP):The city of saints received the first light rain of ongoing winter season on Wednesday, giving a last pinch of cold winter feeling to people.
Experts termed it good for wheat crop, but advised cotton farmers to wait for temperatures suitable for early cotton sowing.
The light rain later turned intro drizzle that continued intermittently till late in the afternoon and forced the Water And Sanitation Agency (Wasa) staff to scramble across the city’s troubled spots with heavy machinery to curb chances of water accumulation on roads and employed sucking machines to drain out water wherever found.
Sajid Mahmood, an official of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), said that the light rain would benefit wheat crop, but advised cotton farmers to avoid hurrying early sowing, pleading that the night temperatures were still below 15 Celsius in Multan. He said farmers should sow early varieties when the night temperature exceeds 16 Celsius and remain sustainable to this level. He said that the excess moisture could cause damage to cotton seedlings due to risk of fungus during ongoing weather conditions. Even before rain, Multan weather was still not suitable for cotton sowing. He said that according to weather forecast, suitable weather conditions for early cotton sowing are likely to emerge after March 4.
He said that time for sowing of early cotton varieties lasts from Feb 15 to March 31, seasonal varieties onward till May 31, and then late varieties. However, “In my view, seasonal cotton varieties should be sown till May 15.”