The Punjab Agriculture Department has kicked off wheat sowing campaign from Barani areas for the Rabi season 2010-11. Barani areas contributes about 10 percent of the total wheat production in Punjab and last year wheat was cultivated on 17.08 million acres in Punjab out of which 1.36 million acres were from Barani areas.
An aggressive campaign through print and electronic media regarding awareness of latest wheat production technology among farmers has been launched, besides village level training programmes, said a spokesman of the provincial agriculture department here Wednesday.
Five varieties of wheat namely GA-2002, Uqab-2000, Chakwal-50, NARC-2009 and Baras-2009 for sowing have been recommended by agricultural experts in Barani areas. Agriculture Department, Punjab has advised farmers of Barani areas to complete wheat sowing during 20th October to 15th November. Farmers have been further advised to use clean, graded and vigorous seed having germination of above 85 percent at the rate of 50kg per acre for sowing with drill. In case of low germination, seed rate has to be increased accordingly.
According to the experts, balanced use of fertilisers increase production by 5 to 10 maunds per acre. The department has recommended one bag of DAP, 3/4 bag of Urea and half bag of Potassium Sulphate for low rainfall areas (Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab) whereas, farmers of medium and high rainfall areas (Chakwal, Pindi Gheb, Tala Gang, Pind Dadan Khan, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jehlum, Sohawa) should use two bags of DAP, 3/4 bag of Urea and half bag of Potassium Sulphate before sowing.
In order to seek guidance regarding latest production technology of wheat and good agricultural practices, farmers may also call at toll free numbers of Punjab Agricultural Helpline 0800-15000 and 0800-29000 which remain active from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm daily.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government would start issuing vouchers of free wheat-seed and fertilisers to the growers of flood affected seven districts from October 31 and distribution of the fertilisers and wheat would start from November 01, 2010.
The process of finalisation of lists of affected growers is underway and at present officers concerned were receiving objections in the names of the growers displayed in the list put in these districts on October 16, said the Secretary Agriculture Punjab Arif Nadeem while talking to a select group of journalists here Wednesday.
He said that final list after removing those having some sort of inconsistency in their details or been objected by somebody else, would be displayed on October 22. The Punjab Board of Information Technology (PBIT) would then start printing the final list on a security paper which could not be duplicated and have various security features. This list would include the name of the grower eligible for receiving this help, fathers' name, CNIC number and voucher number and other details.
'Names of even those who would receive objections or details of those found incorrect would not be dropped and they would be given a chance to prove their eligibility and would be given free of cost wheat seed and fertilisers in second phase which would start from November 17 and would be completed by November 24,' Arif added.