October 10, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 16, 1427

LAHORE, Oct 9: Federal Food, Agriculture and Livestock Secretary Ismail Qureshi has said the Cotton Vision, a strategy to enhance cotton production to the level of 20.70 million bales by 2015, is being given final touches.

Talking to reporters on Monday, he said the strategy would help increase production of cotton by increasing its acreage and yield. He said that the presentation on the Cotton Vision would shortly be made to the prime minister.

According to the proposed cotton production enhancement strategy, a production level of 20.7 million bales will be achieved by 2015 with a modest increase of 25,000 acres annually in potential cotton growing areas of Balochistan and the NWFP coupled with an average of five per cent growth in per hectare yield.

The plan has been initiated after taking into account the future prospects for a sustained growth in cotton sector and the possible improvement in the quality of raw cotton.

The plan envisages enhancement of cotton yield per acre to 1,060-kg from current 686-kg, mill consumption of cotton to 20.10m bales, exportable cotton surplus to 0.60m bales, improved yarn recovery rate to 92pc from current average of 84 per cent.