Punjab plans to save cotton crop from whitefly attack

07 Mar '17

2 min read

The agricultural department of Punjab in India will remove whitefly-infested weeds across the cotton belt in order to boost the production of cotton in the state. The department will work with district administrations to implement the plan. It will also schedule technical training sessions and awareness camps in time for purchasing and sowing cotton seeds.

Deputy commissioner of Bathinda Ghanshyam Thori said in a meeting with senior officials of concerned departments that the infested weeds will be removed by March 31 under the guidance of the agricultural department.

Thori also said that the departments removing weeds will submit weekly reports to the chief agriculture office of Bathinda.

The agricultural department of the state has already written to the deputy commissioners in its cotton sowing districts and has asked them to meet with different departments to eradicate infested weeds.

The department expects over 4 lakh hectares of area to come under cotton cultivation this year, which is 56.25 per cent more as compared to 2016. Close to 2.56 lakh hectares of area was under cotton cultivation in the last season and it was recorded as the lowest acreage for the crop since 1955.

About 60 per cent of the total crop sown over 4.5 lakh hectares of land in 2015 was affected due to pest attack.

The cotton yields this season was 8-8.5 quintals as compared to 2.5 quintal in 2015 and the price of cotton also touched Rs 6,000 per quintal. (KD)

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