Cotton : Govt to fix target at 15 million bales

Scientists urged to produce high quality Bt varieties of cotton.

MULTAN:

Domestic cotton consumption stands at 16 million bales per annum and the government is working to fix the production target at 15 million bales this year, according to Agriculture Development Commissioner (ADC) Inayatullah Khan.

Speaking after opening a three-day meeting of the research sub-committee of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) on Thursday, Khan urged agricultural scientists to produce such kind of Bt varieties of cotton which not only possess the quality to protect crops against diseases, but also survive in water-stressed conditions and match international textile sector qualities.

He said that research on Bt cotton varieties was in progress at CCRI Multan and hoped the institute would soon come up with good varieties for cultivation. He said that research projects should be focused on meeting the needs of farmers at a cheaper cost.

Khan stated that growers would get a handsome price for their produce this year, similar to last year, and urged them to bring more area under cotton cultivation to meet domestic requirements.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2011.