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Shortage of pesticides endanger cotton crop

By Razi Syed

KARACHI: The non-availability of pesticide to cure and control the threat of mealy bug in the market has endangered the affected standing cotton crop in parts of Sindh and Punjab, the agriculturists said on Thursday.

They said this year the virus was witnessed in the middle of the developing period of cotton plants in several areas in Sindh and in a few parts of Punjab.

An agriculturist and a ginning expert in lower Sindh, Mian Rashid said the only pesticide to cure and control mealy bug is ‘SUPPRACIDE’, a product of the multinational pharmaceutical firm, Avantis, which is not available as it was not imported in a substantial quantity earlier this year.

He said the other pesticides to control the pest attacks on the cotton were also not available in the country in sufficient quantity. Mr Rashid said the virus attack and recent rains have already depressed the crop estimates and as a result the production would likely be lower.

He said instead of achieving the government’s target of 14.14 million bales for the crop season 2007-08, there would be a shortfall of around 3.1 million bales on the back of growing demand by the millers and spinners.

He said the attack of mealy bug on cotton was not a very old story as in 2005-06 crop season, it was witnessed in several parts of cultivated areas but it did not inflict heavy losses to the harvest due to timely use of pesticides.

He said the CLVC (cotton leaf curl virus) is well known in cotton circles in the country since the last several years as it was witnessed for the first time in 1995-96 crop and damaged the crop heavily. But latterly it was controlled and after a long pause it was witnessed in many fields in both of Sindh and Punjab provinces.

He said it is yet to be declared the actual size of pest attacks and to calculate the things in right direction, the stakeholders must have to wait until September is over.

September is always calculated as a very important month and crucial in cotton harvesting in sub continent. However the remaining crop is progressing well in different parts of cotton cultivation areas and at least two more weeks are required to estimate the crop size again, he added.

He said though the damage to the cotton crop may be limited but concerns are building up if the pesticides would be available or not as it would endanger the cotton belt.

He said Punjab is likely to produce 11 million bales, while Sindh will produce three million bales.

The recent rains in Sindh and Pujnab areas including Tando Muhammad Khan, Digri, Naukot, Tando Jan Muhammad, Badin, Talhar and Matli, Hala, Jhol and Sanghar have 100 percent of Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) cotton crop standing at the maturity level and in Rajana, Kamalia, Chichawatni, Mian Channu, Arif Wala, Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Pakpattan, Fort Abbas, Chistain and adjoining parts have affected the yield to some extent.

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