Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company (Pamco) will establish various specific crops production zones in different parts of the province, under which grapes zone will be set up in Cholistan while new disease-free citrus zones will be set up in Bhakkar and Layyah as well as olive zone in Attock.
This was stated by Pamco Chief Executive, Dr Hamid Jalil while addressing the meeting of Citrus Working Group at University of Agriculture, here. He said steps are being taken to increase the volume of export of various crops and value-added items in a bid to make the economy stable and this would be done through boosting up the production. He said that total volume export of crops was standing at 114 million last year but this year, it has jumped to 400 million dollars.
He maintained that with the passage of time, the company would kick-off projects to strengthen the economy of various districts. He informed that Cholistan consists of 6.6 million acres barren land. The land is having everlasting layer of sweet underground water. By use of underground water, the desert can be converted into a green land that will result in supporting the economy of the country.
Expressing his views, University of Agriculture Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan stressed the need to run the schemes purely on the pattern of corporate farming, keeping in view solid marketing networks and commercialisation aspects to flourish new citrus orchards. He also stressed the need for initiating easy loans' schemes by State Bank of Pakistan at the level of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to get tangible result of the projects.
He observed that the country was producing 10 ton per acre annually two years ago but now, the production has reduced to eight tons per acre so the said steps are vital not only to sustain the production, but also to earn money from exporting it. He informed that California and Florida's production of the citrus is standing at 35 ton per acre, while 40 ton per acre is being attained in Egypt. He said that it is a prerequisite to increase the production by devising a system of pest management. At this, CE Pamco remarked that we have to achieve the target of 30 ton per acre with the help of scientists to control pests and developing high efficiency mechanised cropping system. The university and the company will ink memorandums of understanding (MoUs) soon to achieve the goal, he concluded.