The Punjab government has asked farmers to avail the opportunity of modernizing their nurseries under a Rs 360 million national project for fruit production till Apr 16, to have access to Rs 300,000 funding from the government to equip their nurseries with the latest facilities and marketing assistance. Agriculture spokesman said that the project was applicable in eighteen (18) districts where farmers can submit applications to the divisional director of agriculture extension, deputy director of agriculture extension, deputy director of horticulture, or director of agriculture extension till Apr 16. The prerequisites for the applicants included that their nurseries must be engaged in fruit plant development for at least the last three years, and have all basic facilities like a screen house, green shed, water availability, budding material, nursery tools, and skilled labour. Nurseries should have the capability to produce and supply in time the fruit nursery plants and be in contact with the local Germ Plasm Unit (GPU) to get nursery stocks and buds. Under this project, the registered nursery owners would get true-to-type and disease-free germ plasma units from the government. Moreover, all the government departments would be held bound to purchase saplings of fruit trees from the registered nurseries. The three-year project was launched in 2020 and 2023 is its last year, officials said adding that government plans to modernize fifteen such nurseries till the conclusion. Nine nursery sheds had been prepared and efforts were afoot to develop six more in 2023 under the initiative. The relevant officials hoped that the initiative would someday change the overall fruit landscape in Punjab replacing disease-tainted trees with a new generation of true-to-type healthy trees to get enhanced fruit production. Moreover, 88000 Metric ton wheat procured Commissioner Multan engineer Amir Khattak said on Friday that well over 88000 Metric ton wheat has been procured and over five million free flour bags distributed among the needy in all the four districts of Multan division so far.Presiding over a meeting to review progress on the ongoing wheat procurement drive, anti-wheat-smuggling operations and distribution of free Atta bags, Khattak said that the administration was also actively engaged in anti-smuggling operations and so far 90 vehicles involved in illegal transportation of wheat have been impounded and 1956.05 Metric ton wheat seized that was kept at the procurement centres. He said that four cases have also been got registered against violators on wheat smuggling and 105 raids were conducted to check wheat smuggling, says an official release.He said that gunny bags sufficient for 214,399.5 Metric ton wheat have so far been distributed.