960409

Cotton output

set at 10 million

bales in '96-97

WIRASAT HUSSNAIN

KARACHI: The cotton production target for the year 1996-97 is proposed to be fixed at ten million bales, said sources close to the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee on Tuesday.

The Federal Committee on Agriculture which was due to meet on Tuesday in Islamabad, to finalize the target, has now refixed its meeting on Wednesday. Yousuf Ali Talpur, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Livestock will preside.

The committee, besides discussing cotton, would also review the performance of various agriculture, sub-sectors and prescribe production targets, marketing strategies in respect of various products, determine priority areas and suggest remedial measures where weaknesses exist so that overall improvement in the agriculture sector may be ensured.

The total area under cotton crop during the current season was about 2.7 million hectare. It would remain the same during the next season. Sindh will grow cotton on 0.529 million hectare and is expected to produce 1.5 million bales. In the Punjab a total area of 1.171 million hectare will be under cotton cultivation and is expected to produce about 8.5 million bales.

Sources said that CIM 240 (variety of cotton) would preferably be sown in major cotton producing areas as compared to other varieties as this variety is more resistant to cotton curl leaf virus (CLCV) than any other variety.

However, in Multan and DG Khan, the Provincial Seed Council of Punjab is likely to encourage sowing of CIM 1100, and CIM 448 varieties which are also resistant to CICV.