Mango orchards: Call to encourage mechanised farming

MRDB chairperson discussed pre and post harvest processes

MULTAN: Mango Research and Development Board (MRDB) held a meeting with all stakeholders to prepare recommendations for import of machinery and its easy availability to encourage mechanised farming at mango orchards. MRDB Chairperson Chaudhry Naik Alam Dhilon presided over the meeting that discussed in detail the pre and post-harvest processes at mango orchards, including pruning, sprays, fruit plucking and other operations. He added that it was a unique opportunity for the farming community, experts and MRDB members to prepare some workable proposals so that required agriculture machinery could be made available to mango farmers through hight-tech centres. He said that credit for establishment of separate research and development boards for almost all crops goes to the PML-N government. Dhilon said mango farmers would be able to hire machinery, including mechanical pickers, pruners, sprayers and other machinery at lower rent from high-tech centres. The recommendations regarding import of agriculture machinery and others would be sent to secretary agriculture.  

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2018.