Drip irrigation project to be launched

The Federal government is contemplating to launch a mega project of drip irrigation/ sprinkling water in the country to overcome the water shortage for the agricultural purposes.
The project to be launched in four provinces during current financial year would have share of 60-70 percent of the 4 provincial governments, while farmers would have to burden the 20-30 percent share.
This was disclosed by the federal minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Sikandar Hayat Bosan, while addressing a seminar arranged by Punjab Agri Marketing department on the topic of "Production and Trade of Sugarcane" here on Thursday.
Bosan further disclosed that the federal government is finalising ethanol policy to promote the by-productivity of sugar; thus increasing the total number of distilleries to 21 till 2006. Experiments were being made in Punjab and Sindh about molasses production, as this crop has greater production/recovery ratio as compared with sugarcane.
He observed that there is dire need to amend the Sugar Factories Control Act, 1950 so that interests of the farmers could be well safeguarded and the Governments of Sindh and NWFP have already forwarded their proposals to the federal government, while response of the Punjab province is still awaited. He stressed upon the sugarcane research institutions to introduce improved yield varieties, as per acre yield of sugarcane was only 45-47 tones, which is very low as compared with international scenario.
The provincial minister for Agri Marketing, Rana Qasim Noon, said that an amount of Rs 10 million has been reserved in the budgets of market committees for the provision of necessary facilities at the purchase centers of sugarcane and wheat. He said that market committees have been directed to redress the grievances of the sugarcane farmers with regard to decrease in weight and non-payment of their amounts of crops.
He maintained that Punjab government is trying to promote the sugarcane industry as per acre yield of sugarcane is 494 mound as compared with 600 mound per acre in other countries. Special Secretary Agri-Marketing Captain Muhammad Yousaf (Retd), Cane Commissioner Anayatullah, Ms Rabia Sultan and President Pakistan Sugar Mills Association Zaka Ashraf also spoke on the occasion.