Agricultural extension services: Punjab govt working to improve efficiency

LAHORE: The Punjab government is working to improve the efficiency of agricultural extension services being rendered to farmers for improving the crop productivity at a cost of Rs 9.60 billion.

This amount is being spent under the Prime Minister Agriculture Transformation Plan said Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Asad Rehman Gillani while presided over a meeting to review the demonstration of software applications developed for monitoring of this program.

Secretary Agriculture said this project is for the whole Punjab but initially in the first phase it has been started from Sargodha, Sahiwal, Dera Ghazi Khan and Gujranwala divisions.

Talking about this program, Asad Rehman Gillani said that under this scheme, field force is being deployed at the level of 1493 Rural Union Councils through outsourcing to provide modern agricultural extension service to farmers in the province.

Under this program, 2 field assistants will be appointed in each union council and one agriculture officer will be appointed in every 3 union councils. Farmers will be provided with awareness and training on modern crop production technology along with promotion of mechanized farming, improved water supply, reduction of post-harvest losses of crops and provision of information on agricultural markets.

Services will be provided to farmers through the use of ICT through outsourcing. Punjab Information Technology Board, Punjab Land Record Centres and NADRA will work together to implement this project.

A Command and Control Centre is being set up in collaboration with the Punjab Information Technology Board for effective monitoring. Apart from modern production technology, information related to seasons and markets will also be provided. This project will help the farmers to become aware of modern production technology. Implementation of this scheme will increase crop yield per acre.

On this occasion, the Secretary Agriculture Punjab directed the officers to get acquainted with the operation of this application so that the registration of farmers could be completed as soon as possible and effective extension services could be provided to them which would increase their yield per acre.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Gujranwala Division Zulfiqar Ahmad Ghman, Deputy Commissioner Gujranwala Danish Afzal, Director General Agriculture Extension Dr Anjum Ali, Director Agriculture Extension Gujranwala Javed Iqbal, Deputy Director Agricultural Information Punjab Rai Mudassar Abbas and Deputy Director Agriculture Ext Gujranwala Dr Javed.

Akhar Padheyar alon with other Officers attended. Later, Agriculture Secretary Asad Rehman Gillani also reviewed the application field demonstration.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022