Punjab Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahu on Wednesday directed agriculture officials to keep arrangements ready in flood-hit parts of south Pun-jab to protect crops including cotton and farmers already hit by floods be extended technical assis-tance for a revival of their flood-damaged crops. Presiding over a divisional cotton management meeting at the civil secretariat, Iftikhar Sahu said that the agriculture department should remain in contact with irrigation officials for flood monitoring and a comprehensive report be sent to him.
The meeting discussed cotton crop situation in three divisions of south Punjab including Multan, Baha-walpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. Iftikhar Ali Sahu urged farmers to pay special attention to the nutri-tional management of cotton crops during the next two months to get good production results. He ex-pressed satisfaction that the cotton market was sta-ble delivering good returns to farmers and hoped it would have a positive impact on next cotton season.
He asked agriculture department Divisional Direc-tors to lead groups of experts and move into the fields to extend technical assistance to farmers. He also sought regular monitoring of seed cotton (Phutti) arrival at ginning factories so that a better strategy be prepared in the light of production data for the next cotton season. He was informed that seed cotton equivalent to over 200,000 bales has reached ginneries.
The Provincial Secretary ordered that effective steps should be taken to control pest attacks in the cotton zone particularly the hot spots where pest incidence was reported. Officials said that modern pesticides were being sprayed in cotton areas where pest hot spots were reported. They further stated that techni-cal assistance was also being extended to farmers for a revival of their flood-damaged cotton crop. Secretary said that officials should perform their duty as a national obligation adding that the cotton campaign was in progress for the last four months.—APP
