KARACHI, Oct 23: The Punjab Agriculture Department is pursuing the pesticide companies to air-lift the insecticides to have at least one spray on standing cotton crop to control armyworm and heliothis, otherwise, they feel the pest would shift to other crops.

However, two associations — Crop Life Pakistan (CLP) and Pakistan Crop Protection Association (PCPA) — differed with each other on the spray.

However, the CLP has shown its inability to supply pesticides in such a short time, while the PCPA has offered to air-lift partial requirements coupled with imports of pesticides from India to meet the emergency.

This was the conclusion of a meeting of representatives of the Punjab’s Agriculture Department, CLP and PCPA officials held on October 18 in Karachi at the Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) to review the availability of pesticides in the wake of armyworm and heliothis attack on the cotton crop in Punjab.

A senior Punjab Agriculture Department official, in the meeting, stressed for the immediate availability of pesticides to save the standing cotton crop from pests as well as prevent their spread to other crops in the Rabi season. He informed the meeting that the requirement of pesticides was based on field surveys and on the recommendations of the scientists of the Punjab government. He was of the view that one spray of pesticides was necessary to control the armyworm otherwise the pest would shift to other crops.

Members of Crop Life Pakistan (CLP), dominated by 11 multinationals and nine local firms, however, showed its inability, due to logistic reasons, to arrange immediate supply of 21,780 tons of pesticides as required by the Punjab government.

CLP members said that spraying with pesticides would not be needed as the picking has already started. They also argued that pesticides application at the last stage of cotton might create residue problem in lint which might adversely affect cotton exports.

A member of CLP said that cotton bolls are fully open and spraying at this time will definitely contaminate cotton to which there will not be a single buyer in any part of the world. Segregation of contaminated cotton will not be possible, therefore, entire cotton from the 2003 crop will be rejected world-wide. He said pesticides do have certain waiting periods. In case of cotton it is three weeks and if pesticides are sprayed today, no cotton picker should enter in the field before November 10.

He said if picking is delayed it will cause delay in wheat sowing.

Representatives of PCPA, dominated by local companies, offered air-lifting of partial requirements of Punjab government for which they needed facilitation from the federal government in respect of allotment of cargo space in the national flag carrier. Abdul Rahman Fahim of PCPA suggested for import of pesticides from India

Punjab pursuing firms to import pesticides to meet the emergency. PCPA representatives committed to supply pesticides to cover 2.5 million acres provided their suggestions were approved.

The meeting decided to submit the PCPA proposals for air- lifting of pesticides to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL), which will decide prospects of imports from India in consultation with different ministries.

Javed S. Qureishi of PCPA also confirmed the availability of pesticides — abamectin and emmectin — for the use on 0.5-1.0 million acres provided arrangements for air-lifting were expedited.

Members of both the associations informed the meeting that it was first time in the 25 years that cotton crop has suffered from attack of army worm of a very severe magnitude in which accurate estimate was not possible.

Former Director, Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Dr Zahoor Ahmed thinks that “there is no need for the spray to control pest attack when over 90 per cent crop in entire Punjab has reached the maturation stage.

He said insects like army bollwarm and heliothis automatically disappear with the cooling down of the temperature. Only those growers are busy in spraying pesticides who had sown the crop late.