& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

6 new HYV of cotton invented
BANDARBAN. Mar 7. There is nothing new in crop modification. plant breeders have long been doing it with little or no success. But the latest invention by the scientists of Balaghat Hill Cotton Research Centre is expected to lead the country to a revolution in cotton fanning, reports UNB.
Scientists of the centre told that they have invented six new high yielding varieties (HYV) of cotton, which they hope would bring a revolutionary change in cotton farming.
They said they would be able to reach the farmers the new HYV of cotton within a few years.
Describing the prospect of the new varieties, the plant breeders said usually 3-4 balls (qulis) are produced in each plant of local variety ol cotton while the new one would produce over 18 balls.
They said intensive research on cotton is going on in three sub-centers of the main centre at Reicha in Sadar thana. Kowkhah thana headquarters in Rangamati and Matiranga thana headquarters in Khagrachari district.
The scientists said they are also studying on the prospect of producing American and Tree Cotton" varieties as plants of these verities are able to produce cotton for more than one season. whilf the local variety has to be sown every year.
These two varieties — American and Tree Cotton — will also be able to help protect homesteads from river erosion as plants will work a§ fences. These two verities will be released for farming soon after completion of their research works.
■ "f plant breeders said three new technologies on pest attack and its management on cotton iields are under process to hand over to the cotton growers by the 2000-2001 fiscal.
They said now cotton is produced on 45-50 per cent Hi”” slope lands, but they could not give any specific figure that how much slope but arable lands the three hill districts have.
Official statistics showed that there are over 30,000 cotton growers in the three districts, producing 750 metric tons of cot-
ton eveiy year.
But most ol these cotton growers are internal refugees and they shift their abodes from one hill district to another. So. the commercial and Krishi banks hesitate to grant them loan.
But the plant breeders said the authorities concerned could take necessary steps to provide loans to the cotton growers on the basis of certificates from village headmen. UP chairmen, school teachers and head of religious institutions and thus give a boost to cotton production.
The Chief Scientific Officer of Balaghat Cotton Research Centre Dr Mohammad Amin said the centre is an eight-year 20^Ct 01^ovenimenl and 11 ls supposed to be shutdown in
As their services are under a project. the plant breeders of the centre apprehend that they might lose their Jobs upon completion of the project.
Dr Amin said that their all efforts would go in vain if the government does not extend the project period.
The Research Centre wa.s set up-for inventing new and improved varieties of cotton, imparting training to the cotton growers providing them with seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other necessary inputs free of cost and thus boosting cotton out-
The Chief Scientific Officer, however, said CHT Affairs Minister Kalpa Ranjan Chakma has assured them of his allout cooperation in turning the centre into a permanent institution.
— UNB Feature