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Action against farmers failing to plough cotton fields by 15th

LAHORE: Punjab Agriculture Department has advised the cotton growers to plough up their fields by February 15 to help destroy the pupae of the American bollworm hibernating in the remnants of the recently picked crop.

"Legal action may be taken against the farmers failing to plough up the fields by that time", Punjab Agriculture Secretary, Rana Nasim Ahmad warned while chairing a meeting at Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) in Multan.

He said that it was necessary to control the bollworm pupae before their emergence after mid-February.

He said if these hibernating pupae were not initially controlled, an alarming situation might take place during the coming cotton crop season as the bullworm may damage the crop seriously.

The meeting attended by directors of various wings of the agriculture sector, also discussed the issues like progress of sunflower cultivation and replacement of sugarcane variety, CO-1148 with varieties resistant against disease and having good sugar recovery. APP