MULTAN, Jul 26 (APP):An important meeting was held at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University, Multan, under the chairmanship of Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, to review the current situation of the cotton crop. The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Sarfraz Hussain Magsi, Director Generals of the Punjab Agriculture department Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, and Dr. Amir Rasool; as well as Directors of Agriculture (Extension) from Multan, Bahawalpur, and D.G. Khan. while other participants, including Director General Agricultural Research Dr. Sajid-ur-Rehman, Director General Crop Reporting Dr. Abdul Qayyum, and Agriculture Department Consultant Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali, joined the session online.
Addressing the meeting, Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, said that the cotton crop has now entered a critical phase of growth and fruit development, making the next 60 days vital for effective crop management. He instructed field formations to further accelerate the crop care / management campaign, emphasizing that any negligence or delay in providing technical guidance at this sensitive stage would not be tolerated.
He added that farmers must be informed about proper nutrition management of the cotton crop as per expert recommendations to ensure higher per-acre yields and superior quality. He also directed relevant officials to maintain a daily record of farmers’ visits and pesticide purchases at Farmers’ Facilitation Centers and ensure the availability of pesticides at prices lower than the market rate.Additionally, a special campaign should be launched to promote clean cotton picking. Expressing satisfaction over the field reports, the secretary remarked that the current condition of the cotton crop is very encouraging, and weekly meetings and field visits will continue until the desired targets are achieved.
