LAHORE:Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday ordered a crackdown on the manufacturers and sellers of spurious pesticides across the province.
Chairing a meeting held to review the steps taken for increase in cotton production in the province, the chief minister ordered the police and concerned departments to take action against such persons without any discrimination. “Exploitation of farmers will not be allowed at any cost,” he stated categorically.
The meeting agreed on the suggestion to supply pesticides to farmers at support price. The meeting also reviewed the suggestion to provide loans to farmers on easy terms and conditions under the Bank of Punjab’s (BoP) ‘Shandar Kappas Programme’.
The meeting was told that ‘Agriculture Internship Programme’ would be launched in Punjab for the cotton crop management. It was informed that ‘Cotton Crop Management Advisory Service’ would be launched in the province for young agriculture graduates.
Furthermore, it was told that ‘International Cotton Conference’ would be held in Multan. Bahawalpur commissioner told the meeting that the cotton crop had been sowed over record 208400 acres of land in the division.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) office-bearers, present on the occasion, praised CM Naqvi and his team for ensuring sowing of the crop over a large area of land compared to the last year.
Speaking on the occasion, agriculture experts said that the use of DAP, PhosphAid and urea fertilizers was must for increased cotton production.
Secretary agriculture, secretary irrigation, secretary finance, APTMA office-bearers Fawad Mukhtar and Anwar Ghani, Commissioners Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Sahiwal divisions, Punjab Information Technology Board chairman and others were in attendance.
