December 19, 2018: Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Wednesday was informed that due to absence of appropriate crop zoning in the country, area under cotton sowing has drastically reduced by 26 percent and this is posing serious threats for the production of major exportable cash crop.
Briefing the committee which met with Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah in chair, Cotton Commissioner Dr. Khalid Abdullah said that cotton arrival in the local market was reduced by 700,000 bales as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
He said that up until December 15, about 9.96 million bales have arrived in the local market for ginning as well as for exporting, as compared to the arrival of 10.6 million bales in the same period, last year.
He informed the committee that crop zoning was vital for sustainable agriculture growth and national food security and urged the need for proper regulation of industries for avoiding the crop shifting issues, adding that the crop zoning would also help in the efficient use of natural resources including soil fertility, water and environment.
The committee asked the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee to submit details of the preparations for the cotton sowing and arrangements made for Kharif 2019 and the availability of certified seeds, fertilizers and other inputs during the season to achieve the set targets of the production.
Meanwhile, Food Security Commissioner Dr Imtiaz Ahmad Gopang apprised the meeting that wheat crop has been cultivated over 8.011 million hectares of land across the crop producing areas of the country as against set targets of 8.833 million hectares.
He further informed the committee that crop sowing had been completed over 90.7 percent areas by mid of December as compared to the same period of last year Punjab had achieved the sowing targets by 95 percent, Sindh by 73, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 94 and Balochistan 71 respectively.
He informed the committee that about 8 million tons carry forward stocks were available in the country, where as government had allowed the exports of 500,000 tons.
He said that wheat seed requirements for Punjab was estimated at 820,000 tons and out of the total required quantum about 73 percent certified seeds were available, whereas the total seed requirements during the current season was recorded at 1,085,000 metric tons and 30 percent certified seed would be available for cultivation.
The chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council told the committee that the council had developed about 154 varieties of different crops, whereas during 2017-18 27 varieties were developed and distributed for cultivations.
The committee expressed its concerns over the non-implementation of its direction by Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation to establish go downs in Umerkot and directed its head to submit the details of correspondence on land accusation with the Sindh Government.
(APP)
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