Health Of Cotton Crop Was Better And Result In More Yield Than Last Year:CCAC

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -6th Sept,2016) : The First meeting of Cotton Crop Assessment Committee (CCAC) for the season 2016-17 was informed on Tuesday that the health of cotton crop was better and would result in more yield than last year and was expected to produce 11.272 million bales (170 KG).

The meeting was held here under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry, a statement issued by the Ministry here. According to the statement, the representatives of Provincial Governments of Sindh and Punjab; Plant Protection Department; Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP); Cotton Growers from Punjab; Sindh and Balochistan; All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC); Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) attended the meeting.

The Committee met to asses the area and volume of current cotton crop in the country. The Chair welcomed the participants and appreciated the stakeholders' interest and participation in the process of cotton crop assessment and described the objectives of the meeting.

Dr. Khalid Abdullah, Cotton Commissioner, dilated the overview of cotton crop production in the country and the challenges faced by the cotton crop especially of climate and pests like pink boll worm, white fly were discussed in detail.

The Committee was told that the health of cotton crop was better and would result in more yield than last year. Dr. Khalid Abdullah informed the Committee that Pakistan is expected to produce 11.272 million bales of 170 Kg out of which Punjab was expected to produce 7.

500 million bales, Sind 3.733 million bales, Khyber Pakhtukhwa (KPK) 0.001 million bales and Balochistan was expected to produce 0.038 million bales.

Due to better price, the confidence of growers has been restored gradually to great extent who are using better quality fertilizer and more quality spray to enhance production. However, sowing area has decreased by 21% in Punjab while it increased by 2% in Sindh, with overall decrease by 15% than the last year.

This decrease in area has proportionately depicted in the production as well. Representatives of the Provincial Government explained the methodology for crop assessment and informed the house about the crop estimates.

Member representing KCA, Provincial and Federal Government and Growers were of the opinion that the assessment is realistic and the ground realities are very close to this forecast. Whereas members of PCGA were of the view the estimates are on lower side for Punjab and supposed to be on higher side, though PCGA has not issued its cotton arrival reports.

Cotton growers emphasized the need of extensive awareness campaign for pest management and to prevent rain damage. It is further added all the data is based on 170kg bale weight. This was first meeting of the Cotton Crop Assessment Committee and three more meeting would be held in due course of time.

The actual figures of production will crystallize in the last meeting of the CCAC. The 2nd meeting for crop assessment will be held in next 3-4 weeks.