Punjab Agriculture department (PAD) has launched a five year comprehensive plan costing Rs 113.655 million in order to improve productivity and profitability through soil diagnostics for the promotion of balanced use of macro and micro fertilisers and soil amendments across the Province.
Sources in Agriculture department told Business Recorder on Thursday that under the plan special steps were being taken for farmers' facilitation through modernised extension service in Punjab. Under the programme Soil sampling kits had been distributed while motorbikes had also been provided to the extension agents including Sialkot across Punjab followed by training programme through specialists. It may be mentioned that as many as 55 motorbikes had been provided to extension agents in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of Sialkot district to streamline the activities in befitting manners.
IT fortified programme will also be launched to connect soil sampling to laboratories however it has been decided that till the time the IT system is in place sampling process will be started to complete target of 600,000 soil samples from 32 districts of the Province by June 30 next year. The village-wise sampling will be collected on 10 acre grid in most the districts. Staff will be assigned to collect village-wise samples according to given target.