Daily Times

The Punjab Agriculture Department in collaboration with the federal government is embarking upon an ambitious programme worth Rs 26 billion to promote mechanisation and seed replacement for three major crops.

These three crops are rice, wheat and sugarcane while the project also includes promoting oilseeds, in addition to research for improving the productivity to make crop sector profitable for the socio-economic uplift of rural masses.

This programme is aimed at providing all the necessary relief and innovation to the farmers to increase per acre yield, bringing down the cost of production and ensuring a suitable return to their hard work.

This was stated by the Director-General Agriculture (Extension) Punjab Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali while talking to a delegation of the Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) in his office the other day. Dr. Muhammad Anjum Ali to a question also explained the strength of agriculture in its historical perspective in this region.

Anjum continued that we import Rs 22 billion worth seed if vegetables, oilseeds, fodders and other minor crops but produce wheat, cotton, sugarcane and basmati seeds locally, however, the loose implementation of Seed Act 1976 amended is a major hurdle to provide quality seed to the farmers. He also lamented on the almost nil implementation of Section 22 H of seed act which guaranteed the provision of true to type certified fruit plants. DGA said that adoption of certified seed is very low and farmers are not paying attention to wheat seed replacement despite the fact that it is our staple food and the biggest crop. National Projects on major crops are addressing this vital issue to supply certified seed at subsidies prices.

Talking on Urban Agriculture forcefully advocated the idea of promoting this concept and said that we should grow vegetables in lawns instead of flowers. Anyone who has a house over two kanals should be asked to grow food for his own consumption as he is occupying the almost equal size of per capita availability of cultivated land left in Punjab Province. He also supported the idea of growing fruit-bearing trees comparable to ecoregion instead of simple trees during the tree plantation campaign to target the lungs and stomach at the same time with a target on malnutrition as well.

Throwing light on projects, he said that for wheat a comprehensive project of slightly over Rs 12.5 billion has been chalked out while another Rs 3 billion will be shared by the farmers coming under its umbrella. It will be a five-year plan in which 60 per cent will be given by the provincial government and 40 per cent by the federal government. It is designed for increasing the yield and bringing down the input cost. Promotion of sowing of certified seed and provision of wheat planters and other agricultural implements.

In rice the department aimed at to make paddy a profitable crop for the farmers by enhancing yield under a project worth Rs 6.327 billion. It is aimed at promoting mechanization such as rice transplanters. Similarly, there is a project worth Rs 2.048 billion for sugarcane with the same objectives.

To decrease our dependence on import of edible oil, the department is taking up a project worth Rs 5.115 billion to give subsidy to growers on sowing oilseed crops, promoting sesame, sunflower, canola etc.

Replying to another question, he said that all the future development programmes are being devised keeping in view the climatic changes. He also said that all the programmes are being chalked out with the consultation of stakeholders such as Rice Exporters Association and Sugar Millers. He said that it will help to carry out market-oriented research.

He said that providing insurance coverage and ‘Kissan Cards’ to small growers is another revolutionary step taken by the government.