In Punjab, students to be trained in livelihood farming

With the collaboration of the Government College University (GCU) Lahore, the Punjab Forest Department has decided to establish multi-purpose livelihood farms.

Sericulture, apiculture and fish farms will be built under the plan. Apart from scientific education, the students would also be trained in livelihood farming.

With the collaboration of the sericulture department of the forestry department, a decision has been reached for large-scale planting on GCU Lahore, Kala Shah Kaku campus, in which exotic species and local breeds of the trees will be grown.

Moreover, a five-acre sericulture farm will be built to boost the sericulture industry. An apiculture farm will be set up, in which local and international high breeds of bees will be kept.

The GCU vice chancellor has formed a committee led by Dr Ahmed Adnan for livelihood farming and planting, with various experts from different departments on board. The committee has started its work.

Punjab Sericulture Deputy Director Muhammad Farooq Bhatti, Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Tahir and Dr Zafar Siddique visited the Kala Shah Kaku campus for preparing a report on planting and farming, and also inspected various sites.

Bhatti stated that the country is facing a shortage of silk and honey. He shared that silk and honey worth billions of rupees are being imported.

He opined the local production of silk and honey could provide livelihood to thousands of families and help to reduce poverty. “Farming research will prove useful for the country and yield positive results,” he said.

Dr Siddique shared that trees and plants that could enable improved breeding of silkworms, honey bees, and raisin, especially those of mulberry, would be planted.

Japanese hybrid varieties being produced with the cooperation of the forest department will be planted, which grows fruit in abundance and also shows rapid growth. The project will be completed within a month, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2020.