New cotton crop varieties having comparatively better resistance against leaf curl virus will be approved shortly and their seed will be made available to the growers through Punjab Seed Corporation, said Fayyaz Bashir, Secretary Agriculture Punjab. He said that Punjab will harvest fairly satisfactory cotton crop and achieve production target of 10 million bales in current year. Cotton germplasm from abroad has been imported and trials are in progress to develop new CLCV resistant varieties within 2-3 years.

He said complete ban on cultivation of off-season cotton will be imposed along with eradication of alternate host weeds for management of American bollworm. Government of Punjab also emphasised for effective implementation of clean cotton programme which is being implemented in seven districts of south Punjab.