June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

MUZAFFARGARH, June 19: Cotton cultivation has been reduced by 40 per cent this year in this district because of costly DAP fertilisers, shortage of water, escalating rates of diesel and seeds and pesticides’ ineffectiveness to control mealy bug, a survey done by Dawn reveals.

Dawn contacted the Agriculture Department, seed dealers and farmers to ascertain the facts about the decreasing area of cotton in Muzaffargarh.

Agriculture Executive District Officer (EDO) Chaudhry Shahzad said last year the total area of cotton was 575,000 acres, but this year by June 5, which was ideally suitable time for the sowing, cotton was sown on only 345,000 acres. Farmers, abandoning cotton, are growing vegetables.

The drop in the cotton area shows the government will not be able to complete the target of cotton bales in this district, which is 750,000 bales. This year seed dealers sold cotton seeds at inflated rates as there was no governmental check on it. Dawn learnt that last year the rates of cotton seed were Rs50 to Rs70per kilogramme but this year the same varieties were sold for Rs100 to Rs140 per kg.

Farmer Abdul Hameed Chattha said most of the seed dealers sold uncertified seeds. A shopkeeper said there were different varieties of every seed brand. He said CIM-496 seeds had different grades and its rates ranged from Rs100 per kg to Rs135. He claimed the seeds were 100 per cent pure and guaranteed. About the inflated rates of the seeds, he said it showed this year the rates of cotton would be Rs2,000 per 40kg.

There are 82 cotton mills here in the district.

Farmers also faced problems to buy DAP fertiliser which was not available in the market. Wherever if was available, shopkeepers sold it Rs3,000 to Rs3,400 per bag.

The Irrigation Department released water into the Muzaffargarh Canal in mid-May, which also forced the farmers to abandon cotton and turn to instant cash crops like vegetables. EDO (agriculture) Shahzad said his department had no powers to check seeds in shops or markets. He said the Seed Certification Department was responsible for supplying good quality seeds to farmers and markets.

Executive Engineer (irrigation) Muhammad Asghar Dogar told Dawn he had made a team which would ensure canal water reach farmers at the tail end. Earlier, the Food Department also failed to meet its wheat procurement target, sources said. Of 250,000 tons wheat, the department could only buy 150,000 tons. An agriculture official put the loss of wheat on sunflower which is gaining popularity because of its good rates and less water consumption. In 2006, sunflower crop was grown on 10,000 acres in this district and in 2007 it was grown on 100,000 acres which badly affected wheat production.