CCRI Urges Growers To Ensure Clean Cotton Picking
Multan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Aug, 2026)
Sahabat Hussain, Director Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Multan, urged cotton growers to ensure clean picking of contamination-free, high-quality cotton.
She stated that better quality and higher prices directly depend on careful and clean picking. Amid prevailing moisture and humidity following recent rains, she advised growers to complete picking from fully opened bolls before the expected rainfall to protect seed cotton from moisture and contamination.
Here are her key recommendations:
- Picking should begin in the morning after overnight moisture and humidity had subsided.
- Growers should pick only from fully opened bolls and avoid partially opened or immature ones.
- Seed cotton must be kept free of leaves, trash, strings, ropes, hair, and other unwanted material.
- Women pickers should use cotton cloth bags or picking aprons instead of synthetic or plastic materials to prevent contamination.
- Rain-affected seed cotton should be dried separately in sunlight and sent for ginning only once moisture content falls below 10%.
- For seed purposes, only healthy, properly dried cotton should be stored with moisture content maintained between 8 and 10%.
She emphasized that adhering to these guidelines would help growers achieve better prices in both domestic and international markets, while enhancing the overall reputation and quality of Pakistani cotton.