MULTAN: Federal agriculture minister Nazar Mohammad Gondal said on Friday that the cotton crop was in a good condition despite a virus attack.
While talking to the newsmen at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, he said that the virus attack was of low intensity compared to previous year and Pakistan is expected to harvest a good crop of silver fibre this year. He said that government had introduced nine cotton varieties including one hybrid, local and Bt cotton varieties.
He said pesticides adulteration law was being improved to prescribe tougher punishments for adulterators and such complaints would be eliminated after its approval and implementation. He added that provincial governments were also conducting raids to arrest the pesticides’ adulterators.
He said after failed attempts by past governments, it was the PPP-led government that introduced crop loans insurance scheme. He elaborated that federal government would provide protection to farmers under crop loans insurance scheme in case their agriculture areas were declared by provincial governments as calamity hit after being damaged by floods or any other natural disaster.—Agency