ISLAMABAD, May 20: Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has started a media campaign aimed at creating awareness among the cotton growers to achieve the 15 million bales target set for the next season. Talking to Dawn here on Thursday, Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan said that his ministry had mounted efforts to improve the supply of pesticides for the next cotton crop by placing 34 pesticides on generic list.

He said that the growers were constantly being asked to practice rational use of pesticide to avoid side effects. Answering a question, the minister said that water would be available in enough quantity for the next season due to the timely rains and especially in the cotton growing areas of the country. That was why the government hoped of achieving the target, he said.

However, the minister expressed his reservations over the selling of substandard seeds under the garb of imported tags in some parts of Sindh and Punjab. He said the ministry with the help of police had raided some stores in Sadiqabad and Rahim Yar Khan from where substandard seeds were being sold to the farmers.

He warned the farmers to buy only government certified seeds and do not be impressed by fake seeds under foreign brands. He said the government would not allow anyone to sell fake seeds in any part of the country.

He said the Federal Cabinet in its meeting on April 23 had decided to increase support price of phutti (seed cotton)for the next season from the existing Rs925 to Rs975 per 40 kg. The main objective of the move was to support the farmers.

It is to be mentioned that on March 29, the Federal Committee on Agriculture had set the target of 12m bales to be grown over an area of 3.180 hectares for 2005-06. But the phenomenal growth of 14.6m bales from an area of 3.229mhectares in 2004-05 encouraged the government to set a challenging target of 15m bales for the next season.