Rice crop is not only important to meet domestic nutritional requirement but also vital source of earning precious foreign exchange. This year it has been sown over an area of 4.618 million acres in Punjab and every effort will be made to achieve the production target of 3,870 million metric tons.
This was disclosed by Secretary Agriculture Punjab Wasif Khursheed while chairing a meeting to review the rice crop situation here on Monday. Special Secretary Agriculture (Marketing) Zahid Saleem Gondal, Director General (Extension) Dr Anjum Ali Buttar and other high ups of the department attended the meeting.
Dr Anjum Ali Buttar told the meeting that the department was making effort to promote mechanized farming to get better per acre yield instead of toeing the old farming methods.
He said climate smart technology would be introduced to promote sowing of paddy, irrigation and use of input in a balanced manner. The meeting was also informed that the federal government is launching a 'national programme for increased rice production and profit' on national level at a cost of Rs 9.98 billion out of which Punjab's share is Rs 4.632 billion. Under this project, paddy growers will be given agricultural implements like transplanters, drill machines, straw chopper, power sprayers etc on fifty per cent subsidy. The department will also help farmers to develop 3,625 demonstration plots and arrange field days to guide the growers.
The Secretary Agriculture on this occasion called upon the agricultural officers to visit the paddy growing areas and guide the growers in resolving the issues they are facing. He also asked them to create awareness among rice farmers not to set the residue of their crops on fire after harvesting to bring down the environment pollution.
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