Get Cotton Fibre, Fertiliser or Seed Tested at a Punjab Government Lab: 22 ISO Labs, Rs 1,000 a Cotton Sample

Short answer: Punjab's Agriculture Department says all 22 of its research laboratories are ISO 17025 accredited. A cotton fibre test at the Cotton Research Station in Faisalabad costs Rs 1,000 a sample, on 041-9201674. Fertiliser samples go to the soil and water labs, for example Faisalabad on 041-9201805. The department's pages give no fee for the other tests, so ask the lab first.

A farmer in Vehari buys 40 bags of "DAP" from a dealer he has never used. The bags look right. The crop looks pale three weeks later. Was the fertiliser weak, or the soil? Only a laboratory can tell him, and Punjab has twenty-two of them that carry an international quality mark.

We read the Agriculture Department's page on its ISO accredited laboratories on agripunjab.gov.pk on 12 October 2026. This article sets out what each type of lab tests, the numbers we could confirm and what the page does not say.

Punjab has 22 accredited labs that cover soil, seed, fibre and pesticide

The department says all 22 laboratories of the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute network have achieved ISO 17025 accreditation. This standard means the lab has qualified staff, accurate equipment, quality checks and controlled records. The labs cover soil, water, fertiliser, seed, cotton fibre, rice, wheat quality and pesticide.

A cotton fibre test costs Rs 1,000 a sample at Faisalabad

The Fiber Testing Laboratory tests raw cotton on a High Volume Instrument at Rs 1,000 a sample. It measures fibre length, strength, fineness, uniformity, maturity, colour and trash. Samples from research institutes under the Punjab Agriculture Department are tested free.

The page says the lab serves researchers, importers, exporters, seed companies, banks, cotton buyers and spinning mills. A ginner or a grower with a lot to sell can use the test to back a price claim. To see where raw cotton is trading before you sell, use the figures for the cotton spot rate and phutti price.

Fertiliser samples are tested at the soil and water labs

The soil and water testing labs in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan test fertiliser, soil and irrigation water. The Provincial Reference Fertilizer Testing Laboratory at Raiwind re-tests disputed samples and checks products before they are registered.

The page says the Bahawalpur lab provides fertiliser testing to farmers as an advisory service, and the Rawalpindi page says its labs work for farmers at very nominal charges. Several other labs describe testing samples that the Agriculture Extension Department's inspectors collect under the Fertilizer Control Order of 1973. The page gives no fee list, so ask your nearest lab whether it takes a sample straight from a farmer.

If you suspect a bag is fake, the steps in reporting fake fertiliser or pesticide in Punjab start the formal route, which brings in an inspector. For a soil test, with the district lab list and a 7 to 10 working day turnaround, see getting your soil tested in Punjab.

Pesticide labs are part of an anti-adulteration campaign

The department lists pesticide quality control labs at Faisalabad, Kala Shah Kaku, Bahawalpur and Multan, a pesticide residues lab and a Provincial Pesticide Reference Laboratory at Kala Shah Kaku on 0301-7173695. The page says their purpose is to resolve quality control questions and support the anti-adulteration campaign.

That wording points to inspector-led sampling as well. We did not find a line saying that a private farmer may submit a sample directly. Call the lab and ask before you travel with a sample.

How to get a sample tested without wasting the trip

Call first. Each lab sets its own sample size, container and days. The department's page gives phone numbers and email addresses, and no printed fee list except the cotton fibre rate.

1. Pick the lab for what you want to test from the table above.
2. Call the number and ask the sample size, the container and the fee.
3. Take a sealed sample, with the dealer's name, the batch number and the date of purchase written on it.
4. Keep the bag, the dealer's receipt and a photo of the batch label.
5. Ask for a written report with a number you can quote.

The receipt and the batch number matter if the report is poor, because a complaint without them is hard to act on.

Common questions

How much does a cotton fibre test cost in Punjab?

Rs 1,000 a sample at the Fiber Testing Laboratory in Faisalabad, as the department's page prints. Samples from its own research institutes are free.

How many ISO accredited labs does the Agriculture Department have?

22, according to its page on accredited laboratories.

Can I get a fertiliser bag tested?

Probably, at some labs. Bahawalpur says it tests fertiliser for farmers as an advisory service, while others describe inspector samples under the Fertilizer Control Order. Call the lab first.

Where is the seed testing lab?

In the Plant Physiology Section of the Agronomic Research Institute, Faisalabad, on 041-9201676.

What does ISO 17025 mean for a farmer?

It means the lab's staff, equipment and records meet an international standard, so its result is acceptable as evidence.

Is there a lab test for genetically modified seed?

Yes. The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute in Faisalabad runs a GMO testing lab for leaf and seed samples, on 041-9201669.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 12 October 2026. We read the Agriculture Department's page on ISO accredited laboratories for the lab list, the cotton fibre fee, the purposes and the phone numbers. We did not call the labs. Fees other than the cotton fibre rate, sample sizes and whether private samples are accepted could not be confirmed from the page.