Punjab Agriculture department has made necessary arrangements for selling 1,50,000 seed kits on subsidized rates during Rabi crop in the province. The step has been taken to promote "kitchen gardening culture" and create awareness about the importance and utility of home grown fresh vegetables across the Province.
Sources in agriculture department told Business Recorder on Sunday that kitchen gardening has gained popularity among the people especially the women folk in different districts of Punjab including Sialkot. The kitchen gardening in the recent past has gained high importance in the wake of upsurge in prices, malnutrition, poverty alleviation and consumption of fresh and home grown vegetables.
Under the arrangements as many as 3200 seed kits would be sold on subsidized rates to facilitate the people and ensure promotion of kitchen gardening culture at gross roots level in Sialkot district out of which 1200 kits are supplied in Sialkot, 800 in Daska, 900 in Pasrur.
In Sialkot, Kitchen gardening had gained popularity among people; women in particular are taking keen interest in getting fresh vegetables and prefer to consume home grown vegetables. The agriculture department had decided to motivate the dwellers of urban, semi urban and rural areas for adopting kitchen gardening while the department will also hold training programme for intended students in schools, colleges and vocational training centres of urban, semi urban and rural areas of the Punjab.
Under the programme, special attention would be focused on expanding the radius of kitchen gardening to semi urban and rural parts keeping in view the popularity of kitchen gardening among those living in urban areas to ensure availability of fresh and organic vegetables round the clock by growing vegetables in their lawns, plastic bags, gunny bags and earthen pots in their homes sources added.