MUZAFFARGARH: Farmers have stopped the cotton picking because of a spell of rain in Muzaffargarh while traders informed the farmers that they would buy only dry and clean cotton.

More than 0.4m acre land is covered by the cotton crop in the district. The rate of cotton is good this season but it’s yield is not good because of attack of Gulabi Sundi (pink bollworm). Agriculture department officials claimed they had informed the local farmers about the bollworm attack through awareness workshops.

The rate of cotton is increasing on a daily basis. The farmers said cotton rate was Rs4,000 per 40kg but the farmers could not benefit from it as the crop was not good this time.

Ghulam Rasool, a farmer of Union Council Gulwala, said he would get 20 maund cotton yield per acre but he was not hopeful to get the same yield this year despite the fact the cotton plants were in good size.

He received only eight maund per acre cotton during the first picking while at the last stage the Gulabi Sundi attacked the crop, damaging the Phutti. Due to excessive rains, the colour of cotton might get changed which would also affect the rate in market, he added.

Malik Shaukat, a farmer of the Sanawan Union Council, blamed the administration for not providing certified seed in the market, alleging that seed sellers were mostly partners of agriculture officials in Muzaffargarh district.

They said the agriculture officials did not provide information to the farmers at the doorstep but only held photo sessions in some seminars on the outhouses of local politicians.

When contacted, Assistant Director Agriculture Extension Shaukat Ali Abid said the officials had done their duty regarding dissemination of information among the farmers but they were helpless to do anything regarding rains.

He said the cotton target this time around would not be achieved.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2019