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Current State Of Cotton Crop in Punajb
LAHORE--Cotton crop in central Punjab is facing the wrath of
American Bollworm pest while in Southern district of Rajanpur
standing cotton crop on around 73,000 acres, may destroy due
to water shortage following breaches in DG Khan canal during
the last month.
Most of the cotton crop of Rajanpur and Rojhan areas could not
get second-last and last watering since mid-August, seriously
affecting the grown up plants owing to disruption in canal
water of DG Khan canal which got huge breaches by hill
torrents. Agriculture experts feared sever loss to the cotton
crop of the area due to water shortage.
The Agriculture and Irrigation Department official prepared
plan to rescue the cotton crop but could not succeeded due to
technical reasons. For avoiding damage to standing cotton crop
and to ensure irrigation to these areas, water was released
into Qadra Canal through Qadra Creek directly from Sindh river
for Rojhan area and from Link-III canal to Kutab Dundee system
for Rajanpur area. However, due to hilly area and
uneven-terrain, water could not be supplied to the area. In
this connection last effort was made on September 13.
The farmers of sweet water zones of Rajanpur district, which
constitutes 43 per cent of the area, partially succeeded in
irrigating their fields with groundwater so that water needs
be supplemented to some extent with tubewells.
On the other hand, pest attack continues to damage cotton crop
in many districts of the Punjab. Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Okara and
Mian Chanu are among the most affected areas from the severe
attack of American Bollworm and Spotted Bollworm. As many as 2
lakh acres of cotton has been cultivated in the affected
districts. While condition of cotton crop in DG Khan is also
not good as far as pest attack is concerned.
However, the agriculture experts expected good cotton crop in
Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Multan upto Ahmadpur East districts
despite the threat of pesticides. The experts were of the
opinion that the overall chances of good crop was still bright
in the province. They said that during the current kharif
season, against the Federal Government's 4.99 million acres
target for cotton cultivation in Punjab, area under cotton
crop in province amply exceeded the target as cotton was
cultivated at 6.24 million acres.
The Nation, September 22, 2001. |
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