STAFF REPORT IBD: Despite having bumper cotton crop this year, the Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) still haunting the crop as it destroyed about three to four million cotton bales, official sources have disclosed.
They also said that this year, the export of cotton has increased by 1.06 million bales. However, the cotton production could be further enhanced, if the CLCV is controlled.
It is expected that CLCV would be controlled through this project, which would help increase cotton production in the country.
An official of the Ministry revealed that 367 varieties of cotton had been imported under the Cotton Productivity Enhancement Project signed between Pakistan and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the current season.
A team from USDA, Dr Brian Scheffler, has recently visited Pakistan and met senior officials of the Textile Ministry and discussed different methods of co-operation with respect to the Cotton Productivity Enhancement Project.
Under the project, scheduled to complete in three years, USDA is co-ordinating with the Ministry to develop solution for eradicating CLCV.
The Cotton Productivity Enhancement Project, estimated at 4.2 million dollars, is entirely funded by USDA and was launched last year to increase cotton production through research.

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