MULTAN, Sept 19: The cotton crop management group at a meeting on Friday expressed concern over shortage of pesticides.

Chaired by Provincial Agriculture Minister Arshad Khan Lodhi, the group meeting was told that pest infestation in almost all the areas of cotton zone of the province was gaining an alarming proportion above the economic threshold level, but effective pesticides were scant in the market.

At this, the growers reminded the department policy makers that they were responsible for the current situation because the department prescribed the chemicals at an earlier stage of the crop which otherwise were used in the later stage.

However, the officials agreed to ask the importers of the pesticides to immediately airlift the needed chemicals so that the crop could be saved from any major setback.

The minister pledged to ensure international party price to the growers this year.