First picking delivers good news for cotton farmers price-wise: Secretary agriculture

MULTAN:Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel Wednesday said that Phutti (Seed Cotton) delivered from the first picking of Feb-Mar sown cotton in Hasilpur tahsil of district Bahawalpur yielded a handsome price, far better than the support price announced by the government.

In a press statement issued here, Saqib said that first picking of early cotton sown back in Feb-Mar 2023 had begun and was sold at a hefty price of Rs 13,333 per Maund, far above the Rs 8500 per Maund support price.

While cotton sowing process in Punjab is scheduled to conclude today (Wednesday), May 31, and officials pondering over prolonging it for another week, the news of cotton sale at high price must be heartening for farmers, the secretary said.

He said that Mahr Ilyas, a farmer from Mauza Jamalpur had sold seven Maunds of Phutti (Seed Cotton) at the rate of

Rs 13333 per Maund and it was bought by Kashif Cotton Factory through its commission agent Malik Shafi.

He said that it should encourage cotton farmers to grow more cotton with better crop management practices and improve not only their earnings but also contribute to the national development process.