PM’s National Agriculture Emergency Programme: Govt provides certified rice seeds

ISLAMABAD: The government under Prime Minister National Agriculture Emergency Programme (NAEP) had provided 2,10,400 bags of certified rice seeds on subsidized rates to growers of Punjab Province in order to achieve maximum per-acre output of the crop during current sowing season.

Besides, the provision of certified seeds, other inputs and technical and mechanical assistance were also provided to them under the crop enhancement component of the program, said an official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, he said that over 16 tons rice seeds were also provided to farmers of Balochistan and 151 tons seeds on subsidized rates were provided to growers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added

Meanwhile, 24 riding type rice transplanter and 26 nursery raising machines with trays and 14 walk after type rice transplanters were also provided to rice growers in different areas of the Punjab aiming at to promote mechanical farming for enhancing per-acre output of hybrid rice that would not only help in fulfilling the domestic requirements but also enhance local export of the commodity.

Under the program about 41 direct seed rice drill and 27 mould Board Plough and disc plough were provided, besides the provision of 94 water tight rotavator to rice farmers of Punjab, he said adding that about 3,462 kg of weedicides were provided to farmers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He further informed that different crops demonstration plots comprising on 41 acres were also established in KP Province, adding that National Uniform Yield Trials of rice (3 trials at 10 locations each) were also conducted and annual rice planning and review meeting was held, besides organizing travelling rice seminar and National Uniform Yield Trial Evaluation (2020) throughout the rice growing ecologies of the country.

It is worth mentioning here that the government had launched Prime Minister’s National Agriculture Emergency Programme (NAEP) of Rs 309 billion in different areas of agriculture sector on cost sharing basis between the federal and provincial governments.

The program also included conservation of water, increase in yields of major crops, livestock initiative for small and medium farmers, transformation of agriculture produce market, and increased access of farmers to finance.