The Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has approved setting up of a new grain and vegetable market spreading over an area of 369 kanals in Sahiwal district. The Minister also approved procurement of 58,500 metric tons of wheat by the Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC).
Approval of both these projects were given at the 97th Board of Directors of the Punjab Seed Corporation here on Thursday. The Secretary Agriculture and Managing Director Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC) also attended the meeting. The meeting also decided to take measures for reducing the expenditures and strictly observing merit while appointing the staff. The Minister said that the Corporation, which was set up in 1976, always played the role of a leader in seed industry and made per acre yield increase possible by selling certified seeds of major and minor crops to the growers.
Aulakh directed the Managing Director PSC to immediate convene meeting of the Punjab Seed Council to approve new varieties of seeds of different crops. He assured that the government would enhance budget for research so as to develop new varieties of seeds having resistance against different diseases.
Later talking to media persons, he said that it was the duty of the Corporation to provide certified seeds on cheaper rates to the growers. While to a query, he said that the provincial government intends to buy four million tons of wheat against the target of 3.5 million tons assigned by the Federal government.