In order to attain autarky in food, fruit and vegetable, the Punjab government has earmarked a huge amount of Rs3.40 billion for agriculture sector. The funds have been made available from Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2011-12.
During the year, a total of 29 schemes will be accomplished which include ten ongoing and 19 new ones. Official sources told APP on Friday that since Punjab was considered the food basket of Pakistan, a number of comprehensive steps were being taken to promote the agriculture sector. The steps include food security and promotion of exportable high value crops through improved techniques, revamping marketing system and averting losses from insects, pests, weeds, salinity and alkalinity.
While completing schemes the main emphasis will be on innovative technologies to bring vertical crop productivity enhancement, increasing farmers income through increased crop productivity, better support prices, high value agriculture, efficient water provision through improved water courses, land levelling, horticulture by encouraging private sector, exploring energy sources, minimising reliance on oil seeds import by boosting local production, efficient market infrastructure to ensure optimal value addition and strengthening research-extension-farmer linkage.
Under the government’s strategic interventions, promotion of cotton in Thal will be ensured through pressurized irrigation, marketing rice transplanting through service provider to achieve optimal plant population per acre, eradication of poverty through distribution of house-cum-gardening plots on lease basis in Southern Punjab, kitchen gardening in big towns to overcome high vegetable prices. Meanwhile a big chunk of allocation will also be utilised on reformation of irrigation system. Under the programme one lakh drip irrigation will be installed besides 7,000 water courses will be improved and 2,000 laser units will be provided to farmers. Moreover, training institutes at Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi and Sargodha will be revamped while two new institutes at Layyah and Karor will be established.
