The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has directed all provincial governments to carry out a damage assessment of the cotton crop, which was affected due to torrential rains and flash floods across the crop sowing areas in the country. The provinces were also asked to collect data about the partially damaged crop and the destroyed crop to form appropriate policies for the compensation of cotton growers.
Dr. Khalid Abdullah, Cotton Commissioner in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, said that the cotton crop standing over thousands of hectares in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was damaged due to recent heavy rains and flash floods, adding that efforts were being made to control the damage and revive the crop in affected areas. He said that the relevant governments were also asked to activate their respective field extension departments to provide technical assistance to cotton growers to minimize the damage by taking immediate steps, including sanitation and drainage of stagnant water from the fields.
In this regard, the farmers would be provided basic tools and machinery for draining out the water to save their crops from further damage, adding that the concerned authorities were also directed to ensure the availability of heavy water pumps and other equipment to fulfill the demand of growers. Soon after receiving the data about the damaged crop from the provincial governments, an appropriate policy would be formed to compensate the cotton growers, besides addressing other challenges and issues related to crops to develop and revive cotton production in the country.
Meanwhile, he said that the first meeting of the cotton crop assessment committee was scheduled to be held by the end of the current month (August), which would take stock of the state of cotton crops in the country and suggest measures to achieve sustainable growth in this sector.
