Market Watch

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. Detail

Sindh Standing Committee on cotton crop assessment meets

KARACHI-The first meeting of the Standing Committee on Cotton Crop Assessment was held at the Central Cotton Research Institute, Multan under the Chairmanship of Advisor to the Chief Executive on Food, Agriculture and Livestock, M. Shafi Niaz.

According to an announcement by Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) here on September 22 the meeting was attended by all the important public and private sector agencies concerned with the cotton sector, including the officials
of Cotton Research Institutes of Faisalabad and Sakrand, provincial Agriculture Departments and the Crop Reporting Services, Federal Bureau of Statistics and the representatives of TCP, APTMA, KCCA, PCGA and grower members from Sindh and the Punjab.

The Committee discussed the up-date on the possible crop size during
the current season (2001-2002) based on the briefs given by the members
belonging both to the public and private sector agencies in cotton production. September 22, 2001

Rs 419.4 m Sindh govt allocation to boost agri sector

HYDERABAD-The Sindh government has allocated  Rs 419.4 million in current    financial year for completion of annual  development schemes in agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors. This amount is far higher than prevous year's allocation of  Rs 83.4 million, which shows the present Sindh government's keen interest for the development of this sector in the Province. This was stated on Saturday by Sindh Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forest, Hassan Ali Chanhio while presiding over a meeting here at the Directorate General of Sindh Agriculture Extension.The meeting was convened to review the schemes to be completed under Annual Development Programme 2001-2002 in different parts of  the province. Detail

Project to boost cotton, sugarcane output launched

ISLAMABAD - The Ministry of Science and Technology has launched a project of mass rearing and release of beneficial insects to control pests of cotton and sugarcane. Detail

Oilseed board to import seedlings from Malaysia

SUKKUR: Pakistan Oilseeds Development Board (PODB) Sindh plans to import one lac (0.1 milion) seedlings of oil-palm from Malaysia in the current year, to meet the growing demand in the coastal districts of Thatta (Sindh) and Uthal (Balochistan). Detail

Govt to increase lint procurement prices

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to increase the procurement price of lint cotton to Rs1,855 per maund or Rs1,988 per 40 kg for PCSI grade Box 3 cotton with minimum staple length of 1-1/32" micronaire of 3.8 to 4.9, moisture content of 8.5 and TCP's prescribed standard export packing.

This was decided at a meeting of the Review Cotton policy presided over by Minister for Commerce and Industries, Abdul Razak Dawood here on Saturday. The step has been taken to ensure fair return to the growers and for their encouragement.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Khair Muhammad Junejo; the secretary, Food and Agriculture' Chairman APTMA, Abid Farooqi; Chairman Pak Ginners Association, Saeed Sheikh; Chairman Cotton Association, Shahkoor Dadad and representatives of ginners/growers and other senior officers of the ministry.

The meeting decided that the TCP would increase its procurement price of lint cotton in order to ensure fair return to the growers. The rate of advance payment for cotton procurement has also been increased from 85 per cent to 90 per cent for procurement operations till Dec 31, 2001.September 15,2001
Courtesy Daily The News

Cotton prices up on US supplies disruption

KARACHI : Cotton market on Friday showed firm trend as ginners raised their asking prices followed by predictions that the local lint will be expensive on the world trading centres owing to disruption in supplies from the US. Detail

TCP asked to maintain lint prices at Rs1,988: SBP to give Rs10bn credit


ISLAMABAD : The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will give a credit line of Rs10 billion to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for the cotton procurement during the current season, informed sources told Dawn .Detail

Private sector to purchase surplus wheat

ISLAMABAD-The government within three years will make capable the private sector to purchase surplus wheat from farmers across the country, Federal SecretayFod, Agriculture, and Livestock Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa said.  Detail

Farmers to get Rs.780/ 40 kg for Phutti

ISLAMABAD-Minister for Commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood said on Wednesday that government has fixed Rs.780 per 40 kg as procurement price of grade-III seed cotton (Phutti) to protect the rights of the growers at all cost. Detail

First tea processing plant to be inaugurated on Friday

KARACHI-Pakistan's first Tea Processing Plant set up by Lever Brothers Pakistan Limited (LBPL) at Dhodial, Manshera will be inaugurated on Friday (Sept 7). The LBPL processing plant has a capacity to produce one ton of tea a day. At present about 160 acres of farmer's land will provide green leaves for processing from 142 farmers who have been trained and educated for tea cultivation. A tea crop expert said the variety of tea bushes planted in Manshera area is of high quality.

 A well-equipped Lever Tea Research Station (LTRS), established in 1989 ensures proper growth of high quality tea. LTRS has the expertise in soil acidification and has brought into Pakistan the most up-to-date plant husbandry techniques to make tea producing and processing a success. Initial tests prove that tea can be grown in Mansehra area and can be blended into premier tea brands. Already more than Rs.80 million have been injected by LBPL in the Tea Growing Project and about Rs.180 million more will be invested in the next 5 years. LBPL is financing the project by providing farmers free-of- charge excellent clones, chemicals, fertilizers (for first three years) and the necessary tea growing expertise.

Interest free loans from the bank of Khyber are also available to the Lever's farmers for the first three years. Despite lack of ideal tea growing conditions in Pakistan, LBPL with its determination and international expertise has been successful in cultivating tea plants around Mansehra. Training local farmers to grow tea, and building a state -of-the- art unit to process it certifies that tea can be grown and processed in Pakistan. Pakistan has a potential to grow tea and in times gradually reducing its imports. Lever Brothers Pakistan limited, a subsidiary of Unilever PLC, UK, is the leading consumer goods' manufacturer in Pakistan.  September 5