FAISALABAD:Cotton growers here in the district have been advised to complete cotton cultivation by May 15 as late sowing could affect the crop in terms of quality as well as quantity.
Addressing a meeting of cotton growers in Chak 365-GB on Thursday, Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Khalid Mehmood said that cotton is a precious crop which is dubbed “white gold” owing to its high commercial value.
“It not only helps in increasing national exports but also mitigates financial constraints of farmers”, he said and advised the growers to bring maximum land under cotton cultivation.
He said government of Pakistan fixed a support price of Rs. 5700/- per 40 kg for cotton, whereas Punjab government had announced a subsidy of Rs 1000/- on purchase of certified cotton seeds in addition to 50 percent subsidy on purchase of pesticides for cotton crops.
The government was also providing latest machinery on rent to cotton growers to bring down its cultivation cost
so that farmers could reap maximum profit.
He said the growers should use approved varieties of cotton, including CKC-1, CKC-3, NIAB-878, MH-1016 and BS-20, to get maximum yield as these varieties showed resistance against pest attacks.
The field staff of agriculture department was active and teams were visiting different areas to guide growers about the use of latest technology, he added.
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