BAHAWALPUR, July 21: The government is contemplating to reduce the cotton production target by 10 per cent for the year 2008-09.

An official source said the government would soon announce the decision after reports of shortfall in per acre yield of the commodity poured in from across the country, particularly from the cotton belt area.

He said that it was in the knowledge of the government circles that the farming community had cultivated eight to 10 per cent less cotton.

The reasons cited for bringing less area under cotton cultivation were the hike in prices of electricity, petroleum products and inputs like fertilizers.

In addition, he said that cultivators had to face problems like the shortage of canal water, non-availability of certified cotton seed and massive attacks of milli bug and other pests on their crop.

The source said the government had targeted 3.2 million hectare area for the sowing of cotton in the country, but the crop could be cultivated on 2.95 million hectares during the current season.

To avoid pest attacks, the farmers preferred to cultivate sunflower and other crops, he said.

The government had fixed a cotton production target of close to 14 million bales for the current season, but this target had now been revised and reduced to 12 million bales.

The announcement regarding the shortfall of cotton production was expected soon during the next meeting of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee, he said.

For this purpose, the federal government had asked the agriculture department of the provincial governments to communicate the cotton sowing figures by the end of the current month, he said.

POL price : Political, social and public circles are synonymous in condemning in the strongest words the highest ever increase in POL prices by the coalition government.

The immediate effect of the unprecedented hike in POL prices has come as unilateral increase in fares by private transporters here on Monday.

The taxi and rickshaw drivers demanded high fares which forced many to look for a cheap mode of transport.

Episodes of quarrel and brawl were seen at various places between commuters and conductors of buses and wagons.

Opinion

Editorial

Solidarity with Palestine
Updated 29 Nov, 2024

Solidarity with Palestine

The wretched of the earth see in the Palestinian struggle against Israel a mirror of themselves.
Little relief for public
29 Nov, 2024

Little relief for public

INFLATION, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services over a given period of time, has receded...
Right to education
29 Nov, 2024

Right to education

IT is troubling to learn that over 16,500 students of the University of Karachi (KU) have defaulted on fee payments...
A hasty retreat
Updated 28 Nov, 2024

A hasty retreat

Govt should not extend its campaign of violence against PTI and its leaders, thinking it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough.
Lebanon truce
28 Nov, 2024

Lebanon truce

WILL it hold? That is the question many in the Middle East and beyond will be asking after a 60-day ceasefire ...
MDR anomaly removed
28 Nov, 2024

MDR anomaly removed

THE State Bank’s decision to remove its minimum deposit rate requirement for conventional banks on deposits from...