Pakistan Agriculture Marketing Company (Pamco) and Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Board (PHDEB) will join hands in the development and promotion of horticulture sector in the Punjab province. Senior officials of both organisations decided this at a meeting held here, says a press release issued on Thursday.
Punjab Agriculture Marketing Special Secretary Captain Muhammad Yousaf (Retd), Pamco chief executive officer Mansoor Arfeen, PHDEB Chairman Afaq Tiwana, PHDEB chief executive officer (CEO) Shamoon Sadiq and other officials attended the meeting.
The meeting also decided to develop cold storage in the production areas to facilitate farmers, set up laboratories for quality control, soil testing, and to analyse for detection/investigation of crop diseases.
It was also agreed to have further joint sessions in future to discuss areas of co-operation and explore ways and means to promote horticulture sector through adoption of innovative marketing systems, infrastructure development and technologies.
The special secretary informed the meeting that agriculture and marketing departments were devising a data base on supply, demand, price, agronomy and wholesale markets etc. Pamco CEO highlighted main functions of his organisation regarding information technology, development of cold storage infrastructure and preparing policy framework. PHDEB Chairman Afaq Tiwana said adoption of modern techniques should benefit the farmers, processors, exporters and other stake holders and assured them of full co-operation. He hoped that such activities should expand market opportunities for the stake holders having information access to different products, specifications, price, packing, quantity, harvesting period etc through on-line information.