Pakistan Committed to Enhance Cotton Crop Output, Minister

Pakistan's Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, said that cotton seed varieties have 75 percent germination as compared to a 47 percent germination rate of seed cultivated during last year, adding that there are three major varieties of cotton seed that would be available.

The Punjab Seed Council has introduced 17 new varieties including a double-gene variety whereas Sindh has introduced three varieties, he added. Fakhar Imam expressed the commitment of the government to establish the efficient utilization of subsidy by ensuring that subsidy being provided on cotton crop inputs reached the deserving farmers by minimizing any role of middlemen. Along with this, subsidy for tractors, loan markups, and fertilizer will also be provided for farmers for strengthening the government endeavors to introduce farm mechanization and achieve maximum per-acre crop output.

The minister advised the farmers to avoid mixing cotton varieties as it lowers the quality of cotton and reduces trash content in cotton that can lead to lower profitability. Secretary Agriculture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mentioned in the meeting that DI Khan in KPK cultivates cotton and incentives for cultivation to cotton farmers was essential, ginning mills should be set up in KPK to increase cotton cultivation following the model of sugar mills to increase the production of sugarcane.

Read more from Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center.