QUETTA: Balochistan government has installed as many as 396 green tunnels aimed at enhancing the production of off-season vegetables and fruits production in the province through tunnel farming.

Talking to APP, Minister for Agriculture Mir Asadullah Baloch said the Balochistan government had also constructed 878 Water Courses and 361 Water Storage Tanks to resolve water issues in agriculture sector.

He said that the government has allocated Rs 576 million in the budget 2022-23 to convert the tub-wells on solar energy in the province.

The government of Balochistan in the financial year 2022-23 would spend Rs 610 million to provide urea fertilizer to farmers across the province on 50 percent subsidized price for the improvement of agricultural production. Locust attacks have also led to a significant decline in agricultural production, to offset its impact the provincial government used spray and took other basic measures for the prevention of locust.

The Balochistan government was considering to launch Kissan Cards permanently to provide maximum relief to the farmers of the province.

The minister said the Balochistan government allocated Rs 1.5 billion for providing bulldozers hours to flourish the agricultural land and facilitate the farmers across the province, especially in drought hit areas.

The power load shedding during the growing season was affecting the corps, he said adding that the government was working to convert the tub-wells on solar energy.