The Punjab government has formulated a well-knitted plan for the promotion of sunflower and other oil seed crops in the province. The step has been taken to produce maximum edible oil aimed at lessen the import and produce maximum edible oil in the province.
The sowing of sunflower crop will be completed by the end of next month in various parts of the Punjab while the sowing of sunflower crop will be accomplished in Multan, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur and Bahwalnagar by the end of the current month.
Sources in local Agriculture department told Business Recorder on Sunday that under the programme over 87,000 acres of land would be brought under Sunflower crop in various areas of Punjab. At present, only 34 percent edible oil is being produced within country and 66 percent was being imported for catering the domestic needs for which the government was spending huge foreign exchange on the import of edible oil every year.
The department stressed upon the growers that they should bring their maximum land under sunflower crop for attaining self-sufficiency in edible oil.
In Sialkot district, sunflower will be cultivated over 1000 acres of land sources added. The sunflower crop will be cultivated in Daska 534 acres, Pasrur 650, Sambrial 400 acres and Sialkot 255 acres tehsil of Sialkot district.
The Agriculture department has directed the sunflower growers that they should use only recommended and authenticated seeds for obtaining maximum output of the crop and follow the guidelines of the agriculture department. Under the programme the department is motivating grower community that they should bring their maximum land under sunflower crop to cope with domestic requirements.
The demand of edible oil was increasing rapidly due to fast increase in population of the country and under the situation extra efforts should be made for cultivating oil seed crops including sunflower for minimising the import of edible oil.
The sunflower crop could play a vital role in enhancing the production of edible oil because the sunflower seeds had 40 percent oil capacity.
Keeping in view the importance of edible crops the Agriculture department was making strenuous efforts for motivating the growers that they should cultivate sunflower crop in their fields and get maximum economic benefits and help in enhancing the production of edible oil, sources said.
The Agriculture department will extend full cooperation and assistance to the sunflower growers across the Punjab, sources added.