Punjab sets 700,000-acre target for early cotton cultivation

Minister says only certified seed of approved varieties be used for sowing

MULTAN:

Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo has announced a target of cultivating cotton on 700,000 acres across the province through early sowing, aiming to enhance production with improved crop management and timely interventions.

He shared the plan while addressing a meeting at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University, where an action plan for early cotton cultivation was finalised.

The secretary said early sowing would be promoted in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad and Sahiwal divisions, while Bahawalpur Division would focus on seasonal cotton cultivation.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Agriculture Department, academic experts, representatives of farmer organisations and cotton growers.

Among the participants were Special Secretary Agriculture (South Punjab) Sarfaraz Hussain Magzi, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Asif Ali, and Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad.

Sahoo directed that only certified seed of approved varieties be used for early cotton sowing and said the registration of farmers under the initiative had been completed.

He further revealed that a project worth approximately Rs2 billion is under way to develop Bahawalpur Division as a "Cotton Valley," stressing the need for active participation from all stakeholders to achieve cultivation and production targets.

The meeting also reviewed the prevailing wheat situation in the province.

Officials noted that wheat had been sown on more than 16.5 million acres across Punjab, with field reports indicating healthy crop conditions. Special instructions have been issued to field teams to ensure proper crop management during the critical growth stage.