HYDERABAD, March 12: Sindh province produced 2.4 million bales of cotton during the outgoing season against the target of 2 million bales.

The production of 2.4 million cotton bales included a good quantity of clean and quality cotton and it is a commendable performance, said the Federal Cotton Commissioner, Dr Qadir Bux Baloch while presiding over a meeting here on Wednesday.

The meeting was informed that due to such large cotton production, the target of cotton production for Sindh for the current Kharif season has now been fixed as 2.35 million bales.

The federal cotton commissioner informed the meeting that the new cotton production plan will jointly be prepared and monitored by Pakistan Central Cotton Committee, Sindh Agriculture Research Institute, Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Agriculture Extension Department.

The proposed cotton production plan will lay emphasis on contamination-free cotton, efficient use of irrigation water, integrated pest management, quality seed, maximum plant population, balanced use of fertilizer, etc.

It was decided that Cotton Control Act will be enforced to promote the use of cotton boras for packing transportation and cotton cloth for picking of cotton so that this year, more progress could be achieved in the field of quality cotton.

The meeting recommended that more incentives should be provided to growers for achieving contamination free cotton.

The meeting was informed that the Federal Government has approved a project to investigate, study and recommend remedial measures for reddening of leaves problem in cotton crop in Sindh. The problem surfaced last year in districts of Sanghar, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas.

The requirement of availability of cotton seed were also discussed by the meeting and decided that certified seed of NIAB-78 and CIM-473 will be arranged through private sector and procurement by Sindh Seed Corporation will be expedited. The revival and reactivation of Sindh Seed Corporation was also discussed in the meeting.

The meeting decided that illegal sowing of Bt. Cotton and other unapproved varieties will not be allowed. The Cotton Commissioner said that National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetics Faisalabad is doing work on production of indigenous Bt. Cotton varieties.—APP