SIALKOT: The agriculture department on Tuesday said that over 46.48 lakh acres of land would be brought under paddy crop in various rice growing areas of the Punjab during Kharif crop season.

Sources in Agriculture department told APP that in Sialkot district, 3.17 lakh acres land would be brought under paddy crop whereas over 16.18 lakh acres would be sown in Gujranwala district.

He said the department chalked out a well-knitted training programme to create awareness among the growers about the use of recommended seed and proper use of fertilizer to attain the fixed target in Punjab.

In this regard,the department deputed special training teams which were visiting various villages for providing proper guidance and assistance about the use of inputs, nursery sowing and transfer of plants into fields to the rice growers in the Punjab.

The local agriculture department initiated farmers training programme in 1,442 villages of Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of Sialkot district. Special training teams were busy in imparting training to the rice growers for enhancing per acre yield, sowing of paddy nurseries, utilization of irrigation water, pesticides and fertilizer as well as about the different verities of paddy in Sialkot district, the sources added.

Some progressive farmers were adopting modern technology for raising rice nursery by automatic machine in plastic trays at local agriculture farm and ready for transplanting by "Rice Trans Planter" in Bajwat area of Sialkot.

It may be added that farmers community was reluctant and showing unwillingness to cultivate paddy crop in different areas of Sialkot district. The decline in paddy cultivation was the result of middle mans role and fast climatic changing conditions.

However, Agriculture department was making adequate efforts to motivate the growers that they should bring their land under paddy crop in Sialkot.