Soil Survey: SSP completes study of 96 percent land

Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Mir Israrullah Zehri has said that Soil Survey of Pakistan has completed its study, showing capacity/quality of 96 percent of the land divided into eight main production categories.
While chairing the meetings of Plant Protection Department and Soil Survey of Pakistan, the minister directed the relevant authorities to activate the Aerial Wing of the Plant Protection Department (PPD) to intensify sprays for timely pest control.
He said that people in far flung areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other regions need to be educated as water is becoming more and more scare and land is being utilised inappropriately. He stressed upon inculcating awareness among the farmers that all land is not suitable for all types of crops. "Pakistani farmers can increase their income manifold, if they know the true potential of their land as far as crop production is concerned", the minister added.
The Minister also stressed the need for co-ordination among different provinces and sharing of valuable land-data, which has been collected after hard labour by Soil Survey of Pakistan (SSP). Director General (DG) SSP, Abdul Hameed Khan briefed the minister about the utilisation of land across the country and suggested that more is needed to be done for its appropriate utilisation.
He said that 96 percent of the land surveyed throughout the country has been divided into eight categories/classes according to the quality/capacity. Giving the details of surveyed land, he said that 100 percent land in Punjab, Balochistan, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, while 96 percent in Sindh, KPK and 86 in FATA has been surveyed so far. He further informed the minister that SSP is in process of updating and digitalizing the collected data. Zehri said that the Aerial Wing of the Plant Protection Department (PPD) is significantly important to fight deadly attack of pests on crops and must be upgraded and strengthened.
"Huge dates growing areas of Kharan, Panjgoor and Turbat in Balochistan are under pests attack and aerial sprays must be carried out after consultation with the provincial government" the minister added. The minister further added that vigilant and dedicated staff must be placed at bordering areas to ensure that the quarantine related protocols of the exportable commodities as per the requirements are duly fulfilled.
Aerial Spray stations in Kashmir must be established to make sure that traded produce is free of all types of pests. The minister said that it is good that Pakistani rice is now also exported to Mexico. He said that requirements of the Japanese government must be fulfilled, adding that Pakistan is keen to export mangoes to Japan and it will start export in up-coming season.
The minister was briefed that PPD fights locust and other pests in collaboration with FAO and locust affected countries. Elimination of locust is done both through ground and aerial sprays. The department co-ordinates with Asian and Middle Eastern countries and the district and provincial governments to protect crops from seasonal attacks of locust and other pests.
The department enforces the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 and Agricultural Pesticide Ordinance 1971. PPD successfully fought 145 locust swarms and 22 Hopper Bands and protected a desert area of 14479 hectares in Ghotki etc last year in September. The briefing was attended by Secretary Minfa Junaid Iqbal, Joint Secretary Sahibzada Faizi, Noor Zaman Khan and Director General PPD Dr Tasnim Ahmed and other senior officials of the ministry.