Cotton production beats estimates

By Tahir Sherani

Islamabad – Overall Cotton production remained 11.11 million bales during crop season 2010-11 against its revised production target of 10.98 million bales which shows an increase of 0.13 million bales; the country will cover around 1 million bales by the end of April 2011.The Daily Mail has learnt reliably Wednesday.

According to the sources, in Punjab province cotton arrival remained 7.39 million bales while in Sindh it remained 3.71 million bales during crop season 2010-11 and our cotton consumption is 15 million bales annually.

According to Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA)’s fortnight arrival report till February 1, 2011, the country faced a shortfall of 1.41 million bales.

“About 2.6 million bales of cotton has lost during crop season 2010-11 due to devastating flood hit Pakistan last year because cotton crop is very sensitive as compared to sugarcane and maize crop and it needs less water as cotton is a water-non living plant”, said by Cotton Commissioner Dr,Khaild Abdullah while talking to The Daily Mail.

He said cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV) is limiting factor in Punjab province which badly damage cotton production. In Sindh Province cotton production remained very notable and its production hang about 1320 kg per hector which shows that our verities have the potentials. He said if cotton production not faced CLCV Virus attacks in Punjab its production could stand as remained in Sindh.

Dr, Khaild Abdullah said domestically produced cotton has the potential to resist CLCV virus but this characteristic is still not found in American cotton. We are trying to transfer this characteristic in American cotton and work is under way on it by using the methods of conventional and Bio-Technology molecular genetic.

“Balochistan and Khyberpakhtunkhwa Provinces have the potential to produced cotton and if cotton potential areas tape under cotton, we can significantly increase cotton production”, said Cotton Commissioner Dr, Khaild Abdullah.

(Source: http://dailymailnews.com/0211/10/Business/index.php?id=1)