LAHORE: The Punjab province has set wheat cultivation target for the current season at 16.5 million acres of land with the production target at 21 million metric tons.
In order to make this year’s wheat crop profitable, the provincial government has fixed the wheat support price at Rs3000 per 40kg before sowing to enable cultivation of wheat on more land and farmers can also get reasonable compensation for their labour.
Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi disclosed this while addressing the students on the occasion of the beginning of Wheat cultivation campaign at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
He said students of agricultural universities will participate side by side with the extension of the agriculture department in the wheat cultivation campaign to extend technical guidance to the wheat farmers by reaching their doorsteps so that the farmers can grow more by cultivating wheat on a larger area.
The Minister further said that wheat is our strategic crop. This year, due to floods, wheat seeds stored in homes have been damaged. Therefore, Federal and Provincial Government are working together in the flood affected areas to ensure timely cultivation of wheat. He further said that Punjab produces nearly 75% of the total production of wheat and this crop also leads to economic stability of the farmers.
Speaking on this occasion, Agriculture Secretary Punjab, Ahmad Aziz Tarar said that Agriculture Department is providing subsidy of Rs1200 per bag on the seeds of approved varieties of wheat and exhibition plots, seminars and use of print and electronic media to introduce modern production technology among the farmers is being used effectively.
He added that we have to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat. For this purpose, students should go door to door and provide technical guidance to the farmers so that food security can be ensured in the country.
Vice Chancellor of Agriculture University, Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor of Barani Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Qamar-ul-Zaman Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agriculture (Extension) and other speakers also addressed.
Provincial Agriculture Minister also distributed keys of new vehicles to agricultural extension officers for wheat cultivation campaign.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022