Pakistan : Punjab sets 16.5m acres wheat cultivation target
Punjab has set a wheat cultivation target of 16.5 million acres, including 836,000 acres in Sahiwal. Certified seed is available at Rs 5,500 per bag, with fertilizers adequately supplied. Authorities aim to ensure full sowing on government land, while federal and provincial reserves will include 6.2 million tonnes of wheat.
LAHORE: The Punjab government has set the wheat cultivation target in the province at 16.5 million acres, while the target for the Sahiwal division has been set at 836,000 acres to produce grain sufficient to meet the provincial requirements. To achieve the target, certified wheat seed is available in markets at Rs 5,500 per bag, and farmers are being fully guided regarding the sowing of approved seed varieties. Fertilizers are also available in abundance at rates lower than their original prices.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani disclosed this while chairing a review meeting at Sahiwal. He was accompanied by Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, MPA Arshad Malik, MPA Malik Qasim Nadeem, Commissioner Sahiwal Division Dr Asif Tufail, Deputy Commissioner Sahiwal, and officers of the Agriculture Department, while Deputy Commissioners of other districts of the division participated through video link.
Addressing the meeting, Minister for Agriculture Punjab, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, said that the federal and provincial governments will procure 6.2 million metric tons of wheat for strategic reserves. He stated that wheat is an easy and profitable crop for farmers, and its demand continues to rise in view of local requirements. He emphasized that 100 percent wheat cultivation on government land will be ensured.
On the occasion, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that the Chief Minister Punjab has directed all divisional and district administrations to ensure wheat cultivation on government land at all costs. He added that district administrations and field formations of the Agriculture Department should further strengthen coordination for the wheat sowing campaign.
Commissioner Sahiwal Dr Asif Tufail stated that the divisional and district administrations are playing an active and practical role in wheat cultivation to ensure a significant increase in wheat production.
Later, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, along with Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, visited the Model Agriculture Mall Sahiwal, where they reviewed operational activities and obtained information about the facilities being provided to farmers.
The minister for Agriculture Punjab distributed Kitchen Gardening Seed Kits among citizens free of cost and said that the trend of growing vegetables at the household level in urban areas is increasing, which is a positive sign. Syngenta Pakistan has also started distributing pesticides and safety kits to flood victims at a cost of Rs 50 million.
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Source : Business Recorder
