Cotton growers switching to maize, sunflower crops

Step taken after Punjab imposes ban on sowing before mid-April

ISLAMABAD: The decision of the Punjab government to ban cotton sowing before April 15 has forced farmers in many districts to shift to planting other crops, which has sparked fears that the country may miss the cotton production target in the new season.

According to Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq, the Punjab government has put restrictions on cotton sowing before mid-April under Section 144 believing that it will save the crop from pink bollworm.

Owing to the curbs, farmers in the cotton producing districts of Sahiwal, Multan and Faisalabad have decided to plant maize, sunflower and potato on idle arable land, which may hurt current season’s cotton production target.



In the 2015-16 season, cotton production had gone down by around 30%. However, in the current season, the harvest has so far been up 10%.

Meanwhile, many organisations representing the growers have asked the provincial government to allow cotton cultivation from March 20 or 25 as it will ensure the achievement of production target.

They argued that high temperatures at the time of cotton flowering would reduce chances of pink bollworm attacks.

However, the Punjab government has not accepted the request, according to Haq.



He pointed out that annual meeting of the Federal Cotton Committee, which works under the Ministry of Textile Industry, was normally convened in February in order to fix the production target, but this year the sitting had yet to be held, which alarmed the cotton industry.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2017.

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