High yield: Introduction of new cotton seed on the cards

Project will be completed at a cost of Rs363 million

MULTAN: The agriculture department has started work on a project to introduce latest cotton seed in 2022 having a maximum capacity to bear environmental changes and virus attacks.

A handout issued on Sunday stated bio-technology laboratory and transformation system would be set up for the project.

The project titled “Commissioned Research for Development of Cotton Seed” would be completed with Rs363 million.

The project would be completed in five years to provide best quality cotton seed to farmers in order to increase per acre production.



The agriculture department would spend Rs100 million in the current fiscal year 2017-18 and the project would be started initially in Faisalabad, Multan, Vehari, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan,it stated.

Earlier, Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan Director Zahid Mahmood said that the CCRI scientists were busy in experiments to develop new cotton varieties with capability to survive amid extreme hot weather conditions and water shortage.

He said farmers would soon witness such varieties growing in the fields and the country’s development and agriculture revolution depended on the prosperity of the farmers.

He maintained the government was making all-out efforts to create awareness among the farmers regarding modern technology and agriculture equipment.



Reasons of low yield

Heavy rainfall, high temperatures and major pest outbreaks have taken a heavy toll on cotton growing districts of Punjab in 2015. The ministry of textile industry expressed concern over the 28% drop in cotton production caused by climate change-induced phenomena.

Officials said the erratic weather proved lethal for the production of cotton, one of the country’s key cash crops. They said cotton production may continue to slide due to climate change.

As well as erratic weather, farmers blame the widespread use of Bt Cotton seeds for the low production. The genetically modified cotton variety has been used in Pakistan since 2010 and now makes up 88% of the crop area. People are now shifting to other crops and vegetables after being disheartened by the performance of this cash crop.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2017.