Daily Times

Commissioner Sargodha Division Jahanzeb Awan has advised the farmers to ensure the cultivation of wheat by November 20 to get better yield.

Deputy Commissioners and Agriculture Officers should guide the farmers in order to achieve the target, and farmers conventions should be held at local level.

Assistant Commissioners and Agriculture Officers should go to the field and review the wheat cultivation. He issued these orders in the second review meeting of the Divisional Wheat Cultivation Committee.

Director of Agriculture Shahid Hussain told the meeting that a target of 1.74 million acres of wheat cultivation had been set in Sargodha Division this year and 4 per cent target had so far been achieved. He said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced to give free lease level to 1,000 farmers who cultivated wheat from 12 and a half acres to 25 acres, while 1,000 green tractors would be given free of cost to the farmers who cultivate more than 25 acres of wheat.

The Director Agriculture further said that 65 percent harvesting of paddy had been completed across the division. He said that wheat was being sown and high quality seeds and fertilizers were also available in abundance. He said that 1,272 lucky farmers of Sargodha division would issue the authority letter of green tractor from November 4.

Chief Minister Punjab has increased the number of Kisan cards from 5 lakh to 7 lakh farmers. He said that 1800 acres of tomato cultivation had been achieved in Khushab district compared to the set target of 1800 acres. A subsidy of Rs 100,000 was also being given on the cultivation of tomatoes. In this way, small farmers would also be able to get agricultural implements on rent.

Shahid Hussain said that under the Chief Minister Punjab Agri-Transformation Plan, the period for submission of applications for obtaining the agricultural machinery at discount rates had been extended till November 20. He said that action was also being taken against the farmers who violate the smog control program on a daily basis.