LAHORE: The Punjab government has set a target of cultivating early cotton on 700,000 acres (0.7 million) as part of its strategy to increase cotton production in the province.

Punjab Agriculture Department Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said early cotton cultivation will be promoted in the divisions of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad and Sahiwal, while only seasonal cotton will be cultivated in Bahawalpur division.

An important meeting to finalise the action plan for early cotton cultivation was held at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Agricultural University, Multan.

The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Agriculture south Punjab Sarfaraz Hussain Magsi, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ali, Additional Secretary Task Force Shabbir Ahmad Khan, Director General of the Agriculture Department Punjab Abdul Hameed, Naveed Asmat Kahloon, Dr Aamir Rasool, Dr Sajid ur Rehman and Dr Abdul Qayyum, Agriculture Department Consultant Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali, President Kisan Ittehad Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, Syed Hassan Raza, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Bandesha, Asif Majeed, Waheed Arshad of PCGA, along with other officers and cotton growers.

The secretary directed that only certified seed of approved varieties be used for early cultivation and said the registration process of farmers has been completed. He further stated that a project worth approximately Rs2 billion is under implementation to develop Bahawalpur division into a “Cotton Valley.”

He stressed that all stakeholders must play their role in achieving cotton cultivation and production targets.

The meeting also reviewed the current situation of the wheat crop.

The secretary informed participants that independent sources have confirmed wheat cultivation on more than 16.5 million acres across Punjab.

According to field reports, the wheat crop is in good condition.

He said special instructions have been issued to field formations to ensure proper care of the crop at this stage.

Later, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo visited the Model Agriculture Mall in Multan, reviewed operational activities and issued directions to the concerned officers.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2026