LAHORE: Tomatoes have been cultivated on 1600 acres of land in the province out of the target of 2000 acres set under a project to promote off-season cultivation of the vegetables.

Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said the project has been launched to enable long-term availability of local tomatoes. Sahoo was presiding over a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the development of the project to cultivate off-season vegetables.

Sahoo proudly claimed that for the first time in history, practical steps are being taken to increase the cultivation and production of vegetables, especially tomatoes and onions. He said the agriculture department has prepared a comprehensive strategy to increase vegetable cultivation and production.

In the pilot phase, a target of 2,000 acres has been set for the off-season cultivation of tomatoes. Till now, the cultivation of tomatoes on 1600 acres has been completed. Groups have been formed to encourage onion and tomato farmers in certain districts. A subsidy is being provided to tomato and onion farmers on seeds and modern machinery. The task has been assigned to the field formations.

On this occasion, the secretary instructed the officers concerned that vegetable growers’ ongoing technical guidance activities should be speeded up. In addition, the local elected representatives and administrative officers were informed about the off-season cultivation of tomatoes. The meeting was attended by the Director General of Agriculture Extension, Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, and the Director General of Agriculture Water Management, Malik Akram and others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024