LAHORE, Oct 28: Contamination-free cotton campaign will be extended throughout the province from next season.

This was stated by Punjab Agriculture Minister Khurshid Zaman Qureshi while presiding over a meeting of the Cotton Crop Management Group held at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, on Monday.

The minister directed the DOSA to take measures for the implementation of the Cotton Crop Act to check the use of jute bags for transportation of ‘phutti’. He further directed agricultural scientists to make efforts for making the project of rejuvenation of mango orchards successful.

He urged farmers to make a maximum use of wheat seed graders and special Rabi drills for wheat sowing as the facility was being extended by the Agriculture Department.

While briefing about water availability for Rabi 2002-3, irrigation additional secretary Israrul Haq said his department had chalked out a comprehensive water availability plan for efficient water scarcity management due to 34 per cent likely shortfall of irrigation water from Indus and Mangla zones. He said according to canal operation strategy prepared by the department, all perennial channels in rice and cotton zones would remain closed till Oct 31. However, 15 days water in non-perennial channels in cotton zone would be released from Nov 11 to 25 to facilitate farmers. Moreover, the water flow in all perennial channels would be reduced by 50 to 60 per cent during balanced Rabi period to remain within Punjab share, and the water supply position would be kept under close watch. Rotational programmes in each canal systems would be enforced to distribute the available supply equitably in all distributaries, minors and canals, he said.

The district-wise cotton production situation and the production of contamination-free cotton was also reviewed at the meeting.

The minister said growers, presently engaged in the picking of silver fibre produce, would be left with only six cotton varieties for cultivation next year.

“We want only those varieties to stay for cultivation which are disease-resistant and with high yield,” he said. The candidate varieties would be approved for cultivation only after their proper trials, he said. With the ban of cotton varieties found susceptible to the deadly plant disease, cotton’s varietal spectrum now comprised CIM- 443, CIM-473, CIM-446, CIM-482 , FH-900 and FH-901. The provincial government had already banned four cotton varieties for their susceptibility to the deadly leaf curl virus disease. Other varieties banned along with NIAB-78 are NIAB Karishma, BH-36 and CIM-109.—APP

Our Correspondent adds: The agriculture secretary said the provincial government would pursue a comprehensive cotton policy during the next season to register a production of nine to 10 million bales.

He said main component of the policy was cultivation of such varieties with relatively less CLCV susceptibility.

The other component of strategy would be banning cultivation of exotic Bt cotton, imported illegally, which perhaps was the cause of resurgence of CLCV. Effects would also be made to discourage cultivation of unapproved varieties.

The other elements of production policy would be weed-free crop, seed treatment, fertilizer application of 46(N), 23(P), 23(K) per kilo per acre, irrigation at appropriate time and removal of highly susceptible CLCV plants. Extension efforts would be made with the cooperation of the local government to discourage cotton cultivation in orchards and eradication of alternate CLCV weed hosts.

The district officers of agriculture presented irrigation scenario during the current crop season. It was found that Rahim Yar Khan was worst hit followed by parts of Rajanpunpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.