A five years National Programme for enhancing profitability through increasing productivity of wheat costing Rs.16518 million has been initiated in Punjab; disclosed by Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Waraich on Sunday.
Talking to Business Recorder here he said that the concept of the programme was to enhance profitability of farmers through increasing productivity of wheat crop to 7 mounds per acres and reduce its cost production retrieve its area for oilseed and other high value crops and ensure availability round the year on affordable prices.
Special attention under the plan would be focused on the promotion of mechanization by providing of agriculture machinery on 50 percent cost sharing basis in the Province he disclosed. He further added that under the plan efforts would be made for the development of climate smart high yielding varieties and improves the provision of certified seed acres the Punjab.
Dr Iftikhar further added that promotion of wheat cultivation with certified seed, balance use of fertilizer, timely sowing, weed management, application of irrigation at critical stages and reduction in post harvesting losses would be carried out under the programme.
The revamping and dissemination of latest technologies on wheat would be provided to farmers through agriculture extension staff, agriculture input dealers and service providers he said.
Dr Iftikhar said that the vision of the Punjab government was to transforming agriculture sector into diversified modern market driven through knowledge based empowerment efficient resource utilization and removing the existing practices to raise growth rate up to 5 percent.
The major intervention of the project was to improve of sail health through provision of gypsum on cost sharing basis, provision of agriculture machinery on 50 percent costing sharing basis, seed replacement from 17 percent to 50 percent.