The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will help the south Punjab cotton growers to improve production and increase per acre yield under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the organization and the Punjab Agriculture Department.
The WWF would hold workshops with the growers under the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) programme.
In this connection, the WWF held its first consultation meeting in collaboration with the Multan Central Cotton Research Institute which was attended by a large number of growers.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zahid Mehmood, CCRI Director said, “The prime objective of the consultation was making cotton crop more environment-friendly, reducing expenses and helping the growers for better cultivation and growth of cotton.”
Dr Zahid Mehmood further highlighted that the challenges being faced by cotton crop and said, “The use of most modern ecology was inevitable for better production of the crop. The CCRI held a joint consultation session with the WWF to provide a platform to all cotton growers.”
While presenting a comparison on cotton products, he said that cotton dependency was increasing across the globe but production was declining as compare to consumption. He underlined the need for promotion of cotton cultivation through awareness among the farmers. He said that there was a need to promote the benefits of cotton among the growers that would increase its production.
WWF Multan project manager Mehr Muhammad Salim said that the prime objective of the BCI was mainstreaming better cotton standards while the plan was divided into three phases, which would work in parallel in different project areas. He said that the first two years would make up the first phase of the project whereas the WWF Pakistan would work as the main implementing partner. He said that the WWF Pakistan would continue working as a BCI strategic partner in the province.
