KARACHI: The cotton production during 1964-65 is estimated at 2.2 million bales. The earlier estimate was 2.5 million bales, but it has been scaled down by 0.3 million bales due to the rain havoc in Hyderabad division and damage by frost and pest in Multan, Sargodha and Bahawalpur divisions last year. This was stated by the Central Minister for Agriculture and Works, Rana Abdul Hamid, in his address to the 27th general meeting of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee in Karachi yesterday. The meeting was attended by representatives of cotton growers, ginners, traders and manufacturers, besides officials of the Central and Provincial Governments. He, however, expressed his satisfaction that the production was well over two million bales.

Referring to the research Centre at Thatta, which he visited during the current season, Rana Abdul Hamid said that possibility of growing Egyptian as well as long-linted American cotton varieties existed in the region. He expressed satisfaction over the fact that Egyptian and American cottons sown as an experimental measure yielded from 12 to 19 maunds of seed cotton per acre. Correspondent