By M Atif Ismail
MULTAN, Apr 13 (APP): Punjab’s cotton cultivation season for 2025-26 has begun with encouraging signs, particularly in southern parts of the province where early sowing continues gains momentum despite regional variations.
According to Crop Reporting Service early sowing has been completed on 842,000 acres across the province till April 08 that accounts for 84 percent of the set target of one million acres.
This year, the provincial agriculture department had earmarked a target of one acre for early sowing, recognizing its pivotal role in improving cotton yields, protecting crops from pests and maximizing profits for farmers.
South Punjab leads in progress with over 85 percent of the intended coverage with its districts like Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan showing varying degrees of performance.
Multan stands out with an impressive over 90 percent sowing rate, followed by Bahawalpur at 80 percent and Dera Ghazi Khan at 75 percent. The strong performance in these districts is attributed to favorable temperatures and better awareness among farmers about benefits of early cultivation.
However, situation in northern districts of the province was a bit sluggish due to varying weather conditions, water availability issues and lesser focus on cotton as a major cash crop.
“The season witnessed a significant increase in early sowing of cotton,” said Iftikhar Ali Sahu, Secretary Agriculture Punjab. “Special incentive package announced by Chief Minsiter Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif for early cotton sowing had encouraged farmers.”
Sahu said under the Agriculture Department Punjab, a timely awareness campaign was launched across six divisions to promote early sowing, resulting in the completion of sowing on more than 800,000 acre.
“The area brought under early cotton sowing is double than last year. All farmers engaged in early cotton sowing have been registered and the record of growers has also been validated by third party,” he stated.
Sahu said during the campaign the field staff from Agriculture Extension Wing personally engaged 266,000 farmers registering 180,000 farmers out of whom 145,000 practically cultivated early cotton.
He also informed that only triple gene varieties were recommended for early cotton cultivation and keeping in view the prevailing climatic changes, the researchers have been assigned to work on new climate-smart cotton varieties.
“Second phase of cultivation is in progress. Field formations have been directed to accelerate cotton advisory services as this is the most important and crucial phase of cotton cultivation to continue until April 30,” he explained. “The third phase will continue from May 1st May up till May 25.”
Commenting on early sowing, Scientific Officer Central Cotton Research Institute Sajid Mahmood said early sowing is not merely a farming calendar preference; it has profound implications for crop health and economic viability.
“Timely sowing significantly reduces the risk of pest infestation, particularly from the notorious pink bollworm – a severe threat to cotton crops during later stages of growth,” he explained. “When sowing is early, cotton plants develop stronger roots and stems making them more resilient against insect attacks and diseases.”
Similarly, he said, the environmental conditions during early spring including moderate temperatures and optimal soil moisture support healthier plant growth and better boll formation. “These factors collectively increase both the number and size of cotton bolls, thereby enhancing overall yield per acre.”
Sajid said when climate change is increasingly disrupting traditional farming cycles early sowing emerges as a strategic adaptation tool. “It allows crops to mature before the onset of erratic monsoon patterns or heat waves witnessed more frequently during recent years.”
He also mentioned to significant economic advantages of early crops maturing as land is freed up on time for subsequent sowing of wheat and other Rabi crops. “This crop rotation improves soil fertility and ensures efficient use of limited water resources,” he said. “Additionally, harvesting during early periods reduces labor competition and availability of labor during cotton season leads to timely picking that is crucial for maintaining the quality of cotton lint.”
Sajjad Chathha, a progressive farmer in Vehari has described the present condition of cotton as satisfactory and said, the situation can be more favorable if there are less rains in future. “Last year, different rainy spells had damaged the crop.”
Another farmer Ahmed Nawaz stated, despite benefits, many farmers hesitate or are unable to adopt early sowing practices. “One of the major hurdles is lack of access to certified seeds that are both heat and pest-resistant. High costs of quality inputs also discourage small-scale farmers from early crop planning.”
As Punjab satisfactorily moves forward for cotton sowing, the coming weeks will be critical as a successful early sowing phase sets the tone for rest of agricultural year and directly impacts livelihood of hundreds of thousands of farmers.
With cotton being a strategic crop for Pakistan’s textile industry and maintaining a stable rural economy, it is imperative that farmers are encouraged and facilitated to adopt early sowing practices in future as well.
Through timely provision of inputs, weather forecasts and pest management advisory besides policy support and farmer commitment, Punjab’s cotton fields may once again flourish, ensuring both economic stability and agricultural sustainability.