Growers urged to cultivate BT cotton

Department providing subsidy of Rs1,000 per bag of approved and certified cotton seed

FAISALABAD:

Agriculture experts had advised growers to prefer cultivation of BT cotton varieties along with 10 per cent area of non-BT cotton crops to save it from pest attacks.

A spokesperson for the Agriculture Extension Department said on Tuesday that the government had set a target of 200,000 acres for bringing it under cotton cultivation this year.

For the purpose, the department was also providing subsidy of Rs1,000 per bag of approved and certified cotton seed. The farmers could purchase cotton seed from Punjab Seed Corporation on subsidised rates.

He further said that the experts had recommended 17,500 to 20,000 plants of cotton in one acre if the crop was cultivated from April 20 to May 10. Therefore, the farmers should choose fertile land for cotton cultivation and ensure presence of 17,500 to 20,000 cotton saplings in a field to get its bumper yield.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2021.