‘Cotton sown area to be increased next year’

'Cotton sown area to be increased next year'
Cotton sown area to be increased next year: DG agriculture

MULTAN, Oct 19 (APP): Agriculture (Extension) Director General Dr Anjum Ali Buttar said on Wednesday that department would make all out efforts to increase cotton
sown area in Punjab next year.

Giving a briefing to journalists after the 4th Cotton Crop Management Group (CCMG) meeting at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), he said cotton crop area reduced by 21 per cent this year as compared to the last year and steps were being taken to increase the area next year.

He said 7.3 million cotton bales production was expected across the province this year. He added that cotton crop was better this year despite high temperature recorded in July and September.

The DG said the Rs 100 billion Punjab Chief Minister package had been launched in the province under which interest-free loans would be provided to small growers having 12.5 acre land.

He said a monitoring cell had been set up in the province and committees were also made on district level.

Anjum said exactly 951,923 farmers had so far been given training besides creating awareness about the latest technology under a special programme in four phases on village level. He added that some 219,946 copies were also distributed among participants in this regard.

He said pest warning department had got 130 FIRs registered against those dealing in substandard/fake pesticides and 25 accused were arrested while fake
pesticides worth over Rs 10 million were recovered from them.

On this occasion, Director Cotton Punjab Dr Sagheer Ahmad, DG Pest Warning and Quality Control Dr Khalid Mahmood and others were also present.

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