ISLAMABAD, Aug 14: Pakistan is likely to miss this year’s cotton target of 14 million bales following the pests and mealy bug attacks which have intensified in Punjab and Sindh this weak due to heavy rains, sources in the agriculture ministry told Dawn.

The farmers’ response to the attack on cotton crop in the next couple of weeks would greatly influence the country’s ability to even get close to last year’s production of 11.6 million bales.

Last year’s 14 million bales target was missed after 17 per cent of the crop was damaged by the mealy bug.

According to internal field reports of the ministry pest attacks have multiplied on cotton crops across Punjab and Sindh over the last one week or so due to heavy rains.

The mealy bug attack on cotton crop has further intensified in Punjab this week due to favourable weather. Last week, the mealy bug had attacked more than 12 per cent of the crop in Punjab compared to just over five per cent in the same week last year. Mealy bug was one of the main reasons which crippled the ability of the country to achieve the cotton target last year.

But, the situation this year is rather more alarming and this week’s rains have further helped pests and mealy bug to grow in number, a Minfal official said.

He said in parts of Punjab, the crop was still in the flowery stage while in lower Sindh it was being picked up. He said the Directorate General of Pest Warning, Punjab, had already warned that the province had no chances of achieving this year’s target.Three-fourth of Pakistan’s cotton comes from Punjab and the situation in the province is worse than last year. Cotton accounts for around 60 per cent of country’s export earning and a rise or fall in the production of the crop greatly influences the Gross Domestic Product.

Sources in Minfal said that about half of the cotton crop had been attacked by mealy bug in Kahror Pakka and a little bit less severe attacks had been witnessed in Dunyapur.In Mian Channu about 38 per cent of the crop has been attacked by mealy bug followed by Lodhran and Burewala nearly 30 per cent and Multan and Mailsi about 23 per cent.

In Punjab, around 20 per cent of the areas in Rojhan Khanewal, Sadiqabad, Chichawatni, Pakpattan, Rajanpur, Jahanian and Sahiwal have been hit by mealy bug.

The situation is not satisfactory at all in areas such as Shujaabad, Liaqatpur, Vehari, Kabirwala, Jampur, Kot Addu, Chishtian, Arifwala, Okara and Bahawalpur where about 15 per cent of the crop has been damaged by the bug.