Cotton sowing likely from May 1

Moga, April 23

Sowing of cotton in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts is likely to get delayed by at least 10 days because of the ongoing harvesting of wheat, which is being done in a phased manner in view of the lockdown restrictions.

As per PAU, Ludhiana, cotton sowing should be done between April 20 and May 31. However, this year, it is likely to begin from May 1.

Gurcharan Singh, a farmer of Fazilka’s Rampura village, said the state government had not even started the supply of water in Lambi minor canal, which irrigates over 70 per cent of the area.

The Agriculture Department today claimed to have made arrangements to provide agro-inputs and Bt cotton seeds to the farmers through listed companies.

Suttantar Kumar Aery, Director, Agriculture, said 26,57,500 packets of hybrid cotton seeds were required for cultivation and so far 25 lakh packets had been arranged.

Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, an agricultural scientist, said: “We are setting up demonstration plots on 300 acres at Sudhar block in Ludhiana where we will adopt drip irrigation method.” — TNS