Tunnel farming technology for vegetable production is being popular among the small growers and farmers in Sialkot district. Sources in Agriculture department told Business Recorder on Sunday that over 1500 small farmers have adopted tunnel farm technology on their expanse in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of the district. More farmers are considering to opting this technology keeping in view the economic benefits in the district and contacting with Agriculture department for obtaining information and guidance for starting tunnel farming technology. Keeping in view the popularity, the Punjab government has decided to provide 50 percent subsidy to the growers for installation of tunnel farming technology in the Province.
The experts of Agriculture department are extending full co-operation and assistance to the interested farmers in this regard. Some progressive farmers have successfully installed walk-in and low tunnels in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils of the district and cultivating off-season vegetables like cucumber, tomato, green chilly, paprika, pumpkin, bitter gourd, watermelon and melons etc. The tunnel technology had paved the way for bringing revolutionary changes in agriculture sector not only enabling the growers to produce off-season vegetables but also for improving their economic condition. When contacted Maqsood Jutt and Aslam Akhtar Choudary the progressive farmers said that we are successfully attaining the yield of off-season vegetables and gaining better return of crops adding that farmers community had installed "walk in and low tunnels" without the finical support of the Provincial government. The per acre yield of vegetables cultivated under tunnel farming technology is much higher as compared to traditional farming and growers community had focus attention on adopting this technology for getting better return of the crops they said.
They foresees that tunnel farming technology would not only help in improving the economic conditions of the grower community but also supportive in bringing revolutionary changes in agriculture sector while people would be able to get off season vegetables round the year. It may be mentioned that under tunnel farming technology the crops are cultivate in a set temperature for attaining maximum output of the vegetables and fruit as a result the farmers could get maximum profit by selling the vegetables and fruit before season.