Agri Department Targets Cotton Cultivation at 4.5 Million Acres in South Punjab

The South Punjab Secretariat in a meeting set a target of 7.58 million cotton bales production from 4.554 million acres to support the dwindling economy.

South Punjab Agriculture Secretary Saqib Ali Ateel and Bahawalpur Commissioner Dr. Ehtesham Anwer chaired the meeting on Thursday. Other attendees included Bahawalpur DC Zaheer Anwer Juppa, Rahim Yar Khan DC Shakeel Ahmad Bhatti, Bahawalnagar DC Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhon, Cholistan Development Authority MD Rao Nadeem and officials from revenue, irrigation, and agriculture departments.

Inter-district coordination and strategy efforts have been improved in recent times by the secretariat, in a bid to support the government’s efforts to revive the textile sector with high cotton yield.

Secretary of Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel said that South Punjab is contributing 90% to the provincial target of 5 million acres of cotton cultivation. He also noted that departments will be ensuring the efforts towards crop protection and preventing canal water theft.

Commissioner Dr. Ehtesham Anwer said that various steps are underway to provide inputs to farmers at discounted prices in order to achieve the planned cotton cultivation on 2.314 acres and 3.8 million bales from the Bahawalpur division.

The commissioner also ordered all district commissioners to immediately crack down on illicit and inferior agrochemicals and carry out farmer advisory campaigns about modern cotton production technology.

Source: Pro Pakistani