TNN | Mar 12, 2025,
Chandigarh: Even as the area under cotton in Punjab shrank to only 1 lakh hectares in 2024, the state govt on Tuesday said efforts would be made to revive the crop.
Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian held a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming cotton season with Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal. It was decided to ensure the availability of PAU-certified cotton seeds to farmers across the state.
The varsity has recommended 87 varieties of hybrid cotton seeds for cultivation in the state during the upcoming kharif season. Khudian urged farmers to use only these recommended certified seeds to maximise their yield.
In recent years, whiteflies and pink bollworms have wreaked havoc on the cotton crop in the state. The area under cotton has come down from nearly eight lakh hectares three decades back.
To address the persistent issue of pink bollworm infestation, Khudian said that the department has deployed 264 nodal officers across seven southwestern districts: Bathinda -70, Fazilka - 41, Sri Muktsar Sahib - 62, Mansa - 42, Sangrur - 20, Barnala - 16, and Faridkot - 13.
These officers are tasked with managing and cleaning cotton stalks and leftover residues from the previous season, which serve as breeding grounds for the pink bollworm.
He added that so far, around 32% of the total cotton stalk heaps have been managed. A weed eradication campaign is ongoing in the cotton belt for the management of whitefly.
The campaign is launched with the support of district administration, other departments, and MGNREGA to destroy weeds standing alongside roads, canals, and in abandoned sites.
Monitoring activities of pink bollworm in ginning factories are ongoing with the help of officials of Punjab Mandi Board, and fumigation of cotton stock will be carried out to control pink bollworm larvae in the ginneries. (Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com)