LAHORE: The Punjab agriculture department in collaboration with the World Bank arranged a one-day training workshop on the importance of modern irrigation systems and water conservation at the Agriculture House.
The workshop was organized by the agriculture department Punjab water management wing in collaboration with the World Bank. Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo presided over the session.
Senior Water Resource Specialist from the World Bank, Francois Onimus, along with other experts, provided insights into efficient water usage in the agriculture sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Sahoo stated that Pakistan ranks 8th globally among countries most affected by climate change. Increasing per-acre crop yield through efficient water usage is a crucial necessity. In this regard, the Punjab Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation (PRIAT) Project, worth Rs. 67 billion, is being implemented with the support of World Bank. The Punjab government has allocated over Rs 9 billion for this project. Under this initiative, farmers in Punjab are being provided with a 70% subsidy for the installation of modern irrigation systems on 40,000 acres of land.
The agriculture secretary further stated that 3,000 irrigation schemes in canal command areas and river-adjacent regions will be completed under this project. He emphasized that further improvements will be made to the project with consultation from all stakeholders.
The training workshop was attended by Additional Secretary Agriculture (Task Force) Punjab Muhammad Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary Agriculture (Planning) Captain Waqas Rasheed (retd), Deputy Secretary Agriculture Planning Kashif Bashir, Director Generals of Agriculture Naveed Asmat Kahloon and Rana Tajammul, Director of Water Management (Headquarters) Lahore Hafiz Qaiser Yasin, as well as representatives from the World Bank and other stakeholders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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