Agricultural produce: Bahawalpur looking at a bountiful haul this year

DCO tells officials to raise awareness about using modern implements to boost productivity

BAHAWALPUR: Farmers in the district cultivated cotton on 594,000 acres of land, sugarcane on 75,000 acres and rice on 36,000 acres of land this year, officials of the Agriculture Department told DCO Ehtisham Anwar Mahaar at a meeting at his office on Thursday.

The officials said that they were expecting a yield of 1,264,550 bales of cotton, 1,364,380 tonnes of sugarcane and 24,610 tonnes of rice.

Participants at the meeting were told that the Agriculture Department had made a comprehensive plan to provide economic relief to farmers.

There would be a subsidy on modern agricultural implements and seeds of various pulses. Free wheat seeds would be given to peasants in five tehsils of Bahawalpur. They were told that tunnel farming was being promoted in the area. “This would greatly increase the yield of vegetables grown in the district.”

Mahaar told the officials to set up model farmer centres in five tehsils that could provide modern agricultural equipment to farmers.

“These centres should serve as public awareness centres…Agriculture officials will educate and inform farmers about the benefits of modern mechanical implements to boost productivity.”

He urged officials to launch an awareness campaign among peasants through leaflets and pamphlets carrying guidelines regarding various crops, use of pesticides and available equipment.

He also told them to take precautionary measures and to devise a state-of-the-art crop damage control system using satellite imaging. Mahaar told the officials to prepare a directory of farmers, and fertiliser and pesticide dealers in the district. “This could help streamline the business and help the Agriculture Department maintain records.” He said the directories must have comprehensive information regarding peasants and major dealers of fertiliser and pesticide.

Additional District Collector Imrana Ajmal, Agriculture EDO Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmad, Pakistan Crops Protection Association president Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, several representatives of banks and officials of the Agriculture Department were present at the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2016.