The Punjab government's three-year package worth Rs 148 million for promotion of sowing of pulses in the province has entered the final phase launched under 'Khushal Kissan-Developed Pakistan' programme. Grams, masoor, mong and mash are the most important pulses which are sown in the province but there is great room for increasing per acre yield. Scientists have developed various new varieties having more production capability, said a spokesman of the Punjab Agriculture Department on Tuesday.
Grams (Channa) are sown over an area of 2.4 million acres in Punjab province, which is 80 percent of the total area, brought under sowing of grams in the whole country. "If per acre yield of grams is increased, it can improve the availability of pulses in the country as during the last few years usage of Kabuli Channa has increased leading to increase in its import from Iran, Australia and Turkey," the spokesman added.
The spokesman claimed that the department was making efforts to disseminate latest recommendations among the growers to increase per acre yield of grams besides inviting them to increase area under this crop. Masoor is sown over 30,000 acres of land in the Punjab which is 70 percent of the total area brought under this crop in Pakistan. To increase production of this important crop, the department was trying to introduce such new varieties which have resistance against diseases. These new varieties include Masoor 2009, Markaz 2009 and NIAB Masoor 2006, the spokesman concluded.
Comments
Comments are closed.