50pc cotton sowing done in Sindh

Published April 20, 2021
Sindh will grow cotton over an area of 600,000 hectares and so far  sowing on half of the area has been carried out in lower parts of the province. — AFP/File
Sindh will grow cotton over an area of 600,000 hectares and so far sowing on half of the area has been carried out in lower parts of the province. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Sindh will grow cotton over an area of 600,000 hectares and so far sowing on half of the area has been carried out in lower parts of the province, Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahoo said on Monday.

Attending a ministerial meeting on cotton and wheat in Islamabad – chaired by Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhr Imam – Mr Rahoo expressed concern over the high costs of inputs including prices of DAP, urea and pesticides. He also expressed concern over the quality of seeds provided to farmers.

The Punjab agriculture secretary informed the meeting that cotton will be planted on 4 million acres and so far sowing on 13pc area has been completed.

He informed the meeting that the Punjab government was providing subsidy to farmers on cotton seed and fertilisers under its subsidy programme. The Punjab Seed Council has approved 15 new cotton varieties.

The official further informed the meeting that the subsidy on whitefly pesticides will be disbursed to farmers in southern Punjab through ‘Kisan Card’. The provincial government is also working on trace and track of cotton seed so that quality seed can reach growers, he added.

Minister for Agriculture of Balochistan Eng Zamarak informed the meeting that the provincial government has decided to expand the cultivation of cotton in 20 districts. The quality of cotton in Balochistan is much higher than other provinces, he said. Balochistan is the first province to produce organic cotton with non-GMO seeds, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2021

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.