LAHORE (Monitoring Desk):The Punjab government has set a target of 700,000 acres for early cotton sowing next season and launched a Rs2 billion “Cotton Valley” project in Bahawalpur to strengthen the province’s cotton value chain, Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said on Saturday.
The early sowing plan covers Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal divisions, while only seasonal cotton will be grown in Bahawalpur, following agro-climatic suitability. Sahoo directed that only certified seeds of approved varieties be used and said the farmer registration process for early cotton cultivation has been completed to ensure better monitoring and extension support.
The Rs2 billion project aims to enhance production, ginning, and processing infrastructure, with all stakeholders—including extension services, researchers, seed companies, and growers—expected to contribute to achieving sowing and production targets.
The meeting also reviewed wheat cultivation in the province. Sahoo reported that wheat is sown on more than 16.5 million acres, with crop conditions ranging from satisfactory to excellent, and that field formations have been instructed to ensure proper crop management during critical growth stages.
Sahoo later visited the Model Agriculture Mall in Multan to review operations and issued directions to streamline farmer facilitation services.
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