Paddy to be cultivated over 44 lakh acres of land in Punjab

Over 44.45 lakh acres of land would be brought under paddy crop during Kharif season in various rice growing areas of the Punjab. Sources in Agriculture department told Business Recorder on Sunday that Paddy would be sown over 3.80 lakh acres of land would be brought under paddy crop in Sialkot district. Paddy will be cultivated 95,000 acres in Sialkot tehsil, 82,000 acres in Daska, 47,000 in Sambrial and 1.8 lakh acres of land in tehsil Pasrur sources added.
The department had deputed training teams which are visiting village to village for providing proper guidance and assistance about the use of inputs, nursery sowing and transfer of plants into fields to the rice growers in the Punjab. The basic concept of training programme was to create awareness among the growers about the use of recommended seed and proper use of fertilizer for attain better yield of the crop in the Province. The Agriculture department had directed the paddy growers that they should only use recommended seeds for obtaining better out of the crop in their respective areas.
In Sialkot the Agriculture department had also initiated a well-knitted training programme for the paddy growers on the preparation of nurseries and cultivation of paddy crop aimed at attaining the fixed target in Sialkot district. The local agriculture department had also initiated farmers training programme in 1442 villages of Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of Sialkot district. As many as 29 teams were busy in imparting training to the rice growers for enhancing per acre yield, sowing of paddy nurseries, utilization of irrigation water, pesticides and fertilizer as well as about the different verities of paddy in Sialkot district sources added.
It may be added that farmers community was reluctant and showing unwillingness to cultivate paddy crop in different areas of Sialkot district. The decline in paddy cultivation was the result of middle mans role and fast climatic changing conditions. However, Agriculture department was making adequate efforts to motivate the growers that they should bring their land under paddy crop in Sialkot district.