In collaboration with the Federal government, the Punjab Agriculture Department is embarking upon an ambitious programme worth Rs 26 billion to promote mechanization and seed replacement for three major crops. These three crops are rice, wheat and sugarcane while the project also include promoting oilseeds, in addition to research for improving 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 suitable return for their hard work.
This was stated by 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 in a question also explained the strength of agriculture in its historical perspective in this region.
Anjum continued that they import Rs 22 billion worth seed of 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 provision of true to type certified fruit plants.
The DGA said that adoption of certified seed is very low and farmers are not paying attention on 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, he 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 almost equal size of per capita availability of cultivated land left in Punjab province," he added.
He also supported the idea of growing fruit bearing trees comparable to eco region instead of simple trees during the tree plantation campaign to target 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 percent will be given by the provincial government and 40 percent 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," he added.
In another project, the department aimed at to make rice a profitable crop for the farmers by enhancing its yield under a project worth Rs6.327 billion. It is aimed at promoting mechanization, such as rice transplant. 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 Rs5.115 billion to give subsidy to growers on sowing oilseed crops, promoting sesame, sunflower, canola, etc.
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