Punjab gears UP For bumper cotton crop

Projecting a record arrival of cotton crop this season, the state government has set up twenty five ‘Cotton mandis’ out of which nineteen have been provided with world class infrastructure under ‘Technology Mission of Cotton’.

According to an official spokesman, the land under cultivation of cotton this year has increased to 550,000 hectares from 483,000 hectares last year and its production would touch 2.25 million bales of cotton registering a record increase of 0.44 million bales from last year. He said government has made adequate arrangements for its transportation and preservation besides construction of new roads inside the mandis leading to the storage area.

 

The government has established a total of 42 cotton mandis in the state, out of which twenty five that are equipped with modern technology witnessed regular arrival of crop on a large scale. These included Bathinda, Rampura Phool, Bhucho, Goniana, Maur, Rama Mandi, Sangat Mandi, Talwandi Sabo, Kotkapura, Jaito, Abohar, Fazilka, Mansa, Budhlada, Bareta, Sardoolgarh, Bhikhi, Mukatsar, Gidderbaha, Bariwala, Malout, Lehragaga, Sunam, Barnala and Tapa.

He added besides establishing cotton grading laboratories for the first time, ultramodern weighing machines have also been installed, where crop would be weighed along with trolleys to save the precious time of the farmer. These would take the samples, conduct grading of crop and present it on the display board in the mandis. In these mandis, separate ‘Pucca farhs’ have also been constructed along with installation of public utilities for the convenience of farmers.

The spokesman said in the previous season, 483,000 hectares land was under cultivation producing 1.82 million bales of cotton. The rising area is due to the increase in its price in the international market, that prompted the farmers to cultivate it in a larger area, he added.