Farmers urged to adopt modern agriculture technology

Farmer community can increase their agricultural production by 20 percent and save 50 percent water consumption through adoption of bed plantation and soil analysis.
This was stated by speakers while addressing a seminar on Demonstration and Dissemination of Irrigation Technology and Management Practices organised by Water Management Research Centre, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in collaboration with Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority and USAID.
The session was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while District Co-ordination Officer, District Nankana, Hassan Iqbal and MPA Muhammad Arshad were guests of honour on the occasion. The university has grown wheat on 17 acres in Shakot on bed plantation in a bid to demonstrate the technology to the farming community.
Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that it was matter of grave concern that farming community was practicing old agricultural methods, responsible for low yield in the country. He said that there were the few farmers who were using bed plantation and drip irrigation that were vital to feed ever growing population.
He said that in Indian Punjab, the practices of the bed plantation were on the rise and a large number of farmers have adopted it which was increasing the productivity manifold. He said that the water scarcity has starting playing havoc with the people and it was the need of hour to aware the people about the water conservation methods as the water was basic component of life.
He urged the industrials to make the bed levellers available to the farming community as most of them are small farmers and cannot afford the technology. The DCO said that the farming community should adopt rational use of fertiliser with the soil analysis as it was must to increase the productivity. He urged UAF scientists to produce low cost technology as the country was facing the increasing prices of agricultural input. With the introduction of low cost technology, we can not only increase productivity but also narrow down the financial burden on farming community.
He lauded the steps being taken on the part of the university for boosting up the sector.MPA Muhammad Arshad stressed the need to set up sub campus of the UAF in District Nankana in order to providing state-of-the-art agricultural knowledge to local at their step. Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Dean, Professor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad also called for conserving water with the use of drip irrigation and bed plantation.