Biggest land mass that isbarren in pakistan is balochistan.... The key to cultivation and productivity there are dams. We can say wht we want the answer lies in the 100 identified places for mini to micro dams in balochistan.
Pakistan Agriculture Developments
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Punjab Govt successfully running Crop Insurance Takaful Program in 18 districts
May 16, 2019
File photo
Punjab Government is successfully running Crop Insurance Takaful Program in eighteen districts for compensating farmers in case of less production due to natural or any other unforeseen reason.
In a statement, Punjab Agriculture spokesman said that this program is being implemented for Kharif crops in eighteen districts including Sahiwal, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Narowal, Faisalabad, Rajanpur, Layyah and Okara.
He said that this program is now being extended to remaining districts of the province.
May 16, 2019
File photo
Punjab Government is successfully running Crop Insurance Takaful Program in eighteen districts for compensating farmers in case of less production due to natural or any other unforeseen reason.
In a statement, Punjab Agriculture spokesman said that this program is being implemented for Kharif crops in eighteen districts including Sahiwal, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Narowal, Faisalabad, Rajanpur, Layyah and Okara.
He said that this program is now being extended to remaining districts of the province.
ghazi52
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Discussion on pre-budget proposals for agriculture started
The speaker National Assembly Thursday initiated comprehensive discussion on pre-budget proposals for agriculture development.
He outlined that farmers’ profitability, improved productivity, technology transfer and adaptation, access to new markets and rapid shift from low value to high value agricultural products should form the core of the potential budget reserved for agriculture development.
He said the Special Committee on Agricultural Products would comprehensively endeavor to assign substantive meanings to Pakistan’s agriculture development agenda. He was a chairing a meeting here at Parliament House, Islamabad on Thursday.
The speaker National Assembly Thursday initiated comprehensive discussion on pre-budget proposals for agriculture development.
He outlined that farmers’ profitability, improved productivity, technology transfer and adaptation, access to new markets and rapid shift from low value to high value agricultural products should form the core of the potential budget reserved for agriculture development.
He said the Special Committee on Agricultural Products would comprehensively endeavor to assign substantive meanings to Pakistan’s agriculture development agenda. He was a chairing a meeting here at Parliament House, Islamabad on Thursday.
ghazi52
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Farmers advised to start cultivation of sesame in June
May 25, 2019
Agriculture experts have advised farmers to start cultivation of sesame next month and complete it by mid of July for getting a bumper crop.
According to spokesman Najaf Abbas for the Agriculture Department, sesame is playing a vital role in meeting food requirements, therefore, its cultivation should be made on maximum area.
He said the best time for sesame cultivation is from June to mid-July. Farmers should start sesame cultivation from next month and use its high quality seed to get a good yield.
May 25, 2019
Agriculture experts have advised farmers to start cultivation of sesame next month and complete it by mid of July for getting a bumper crop.
According to spokesman Najaf Abbas for the Agriculture Department, sesame is playing a vital role in meeting food requirements, therefore, its cultivation should be made on maximum area.
He said the best time for sesame cultivation is from June to mid-July. Farmers should start sesame cultivation from next month and use its high quality seed to get a good yield.
ghazi52
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ghazi52
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( 28th May, 2019 ) : Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan Tuesday said the incumbent government was fully focused on the development of agriculture sector and in this regard 13 projects worth Rs 286 billion would be launched during next five years to provide affordable and quality food products to the masses.
"Out of the total budget, an amount of Rs 86 billion would be allocated by the Federal government whereas the rest Rs 200 billion would be spent by the provinces," he said while addressing a press conference here.
The minister said these 13 projects would cover all areas of the agriculture sector including livestock, poultry, fisheries, and crops.
Criticising the previous governments, Sahibzada Sultan said the sector was totally neglected during past tenures, specially after devolution of powers to the provinces and the budget for this sector declined by around 70% from around Rs 40 billion to Rs 15 billion per year.
Meanwhile talking about the recent agreements signed with China under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the minister informed that two out of five agreements were related to the agriculture sector.
He said under the agreement on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), China would offer its technology and services to help Pakistan establishing FMD free zones in the country.
He said after establishment of FMD free zones, Pakistan would be able to export its meat to anywhere around the globe including the European countries.
The minister pointed out that at present, the country's export in meat sector stood around only $200 million which was very negligible against the real potential.
Under the second agreement of agriculture framework, all areas of agriculture sector had been covered up and under this agreement, China will provide skill, machinery, and technology specially to small farmers besides introducing new breeds of livestock, poultry, and fisheries.
The minister informed that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation had nominated ministry of food security and research for an award to recognize its services in food research.
Replying to a question, Sahibzada Sultan said the wheat target of 25.8 million metric ton could not be achieved due to heavy rains in the wheat sowing areas and the wheat farmers suffered a loss of around 1.2 million metric ton.
He said the total wheat requirement in the country was around 25.5 million while total expected production was around 24.12 million metric ton.
He said the government had also a previous stock of 3.7 million metric ton so even then the country would have surplus wheat.
"Out of the total budget, an amount of Rs 86 billion would be allocated by the Federal government whereas the rest Rs 200 billion would be spent by the provinces," he said while addressing a press conference here.
The minister said these 13 projects would cover all areas of the agriculture sector including livestock, poultry, fisheries, and crops.
Criticising the previous governments, Sahibzada Sultan said the sector was totally neglected during past tenures, specially after devolution of powers to the provinces and the budget for this sector declined by around 70% from around Rs 40 billion to Rs 15 billion per year.
Meanwhile talking about the recent agreements signed with China under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the minister informed that two out of five agreements were related to the agriculture sector.
He said under the agreement on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), China would offer its technology and services to help Pakistan establishing FMD free zones in the country.
He said after establishment of FMD free zones, Pakistan would be able to export its meat to anywhere around the globe including the European countries.
The minister pointed out that at present, the country's export in meat sector stood around only $200 million which was very negligible against the real potential.
Under the second agreement of agriculture framework, all areas of agriculture sector had been covered up and under this agreement, China will provide skill, machinery, and technology specially to small farmers besides introducing new breeds of livestock, poultry, and fisheries.
The minister informed that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation had nominated ministry of food security and research for an award to recognize its services in food research.
Replying to a question, Sahibzada Sultan said the wheat target of 25.8 million metric ton could not be achieved due to heavy rains in the wheat sowing areas and the wheat farmers suffered a loss of around 1.2 million metric ton.
He said the total wheat requirement in the country was around 25.5 million while total expected production was around 24.12 million metric ton.
He said the government had also a previous stock of 3.7 million metric ton so even then the country would have surplus wheat.
The biggest 8 agricultural developments needed are
1...
Establishing a palm oil cultivation zones along sindh coastal region
2...
Establishing processing plants for dates, mango, citrus, peach, apricot and apples. None should be exported without processing.
3..
Establishing a minimum packing standard for in country transport of ALL fruit and a carton reinforced by styro foam blocks at ends for export.. Our fruits get the worst price as they are all d-shaped
4..
getting serious about tea ciltivation and its processing
5..
Starting olive plantation projects in FATA and balochistan. Giving them to private companies or semi private ones.
6...
Storing grains in silos and not in warehouses. Erect newer ones.
7...
Agricultural research centers and universities to be evaluated on set goals and principals i.e. Make their job quantifiable rather than them havinvg a field day.
8...
Lastly, develop newer varieties of rice, pulses, lemon, wheat, cotton and maize. If we can develop maize, canola, soyabean and sunflower that yield better then this can also help our live stock and poultry industry.
1...
Establishing a palm oil cultivation zones along sindh coastal region
2...
Establishing processing plants for dates, mango, citrus, peach, apricot and apples. None should be exported without processing.
3..
Establishing a minimum packing standard for in country transport of ALL fruit and a carton reinforced by styro foam blocks at ends for export.. Our fruits get the worst price as they are all d-shaped
4..
getting serious about tea ciltivation and its processing
5..
Starting olive plantation projects in FATA and balochistan. Giving them to private companies or semi private ones.
6...
Storing grains in silos and not in warehouses. Erect newer ones.
7...
Agricultural research centers and universities to be evaluated on set goals and principals i.e. Make their job quantifiable rather than them havinvg a field day.
8...
Lastly, develop newer varieties of rice, pulses, lemon, wheat, cotton and maize. If we can develop maize, canola, soyabean and sunflower that yield better then this can also help our live stock and poultry industry.
zulu
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All are very good suggestions.If govt cant provide the funds at least encourage private sector to come forward give them just assistance and facilities only can prove to be game changer
ghazi52
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A farmer in Punjab is rejuvenating sand dunes through drip irrigation
Zofeen T. Ebrahim
June 01, 2019
Reducing water use in agriculture is key for Pakistan, a country facing severe water shortages. — Photo by Hasan Abdullah
Hassan Abdullah has pioneered the use of drip irrigation on dunes in Punjab, Pakistan. — Photo courtesy Third Pole
Drip irrigation is only possible with solar energy, far cheaper than diesel pumps used by so many farmers. — Photo by Hasan Abdullah
For as long as Hasan Abdullah can remember the 50-acre sandy dune on his 400-acre farmland in Sadiqabad, Pakistan’s Punjab province, was an irritant – nothing grew on it.
His farmland lies beside the vast Cholistan desert in a canal irrigated area east of the Indus River in Rahim Yar Khan district. Abdullah inherited it in 2005, when his father passed away. Until then he had been working in information technology.
In 2015, after much research, Abdullah took a “calculated risk” of cultivating the “barren” dune using the drip irrigation system. The government’s announcement of a 60% subsidy on drip irrigation was “a big incentive,” he said. Agriculture, through wasteful flood irrigation, accounts for over 80% water usage in a country facing severe water shortages.
Today, Abdullah’s dune is a sight to behold: fruit orchards have flourished in the sand. He admitted that without drip irrigation the “dune would never have produced anything.”
Water mixed with fertiliser is carried out through pipes with heads known as drippers, explained Abdullah, which release a certain amount of water per minute directly to the roots of each plant across the orchard.
And because watering is precise, there is no evaporation, no run off, and no wastage.
These new water saving techniques will be key to the future survival of Pakistan’s farmers, who face growing water shortages. Pakistan’s per capita water availability is very low, yet the agricultural sector is deeply inefficient in its water use and its productivity is low. Farmers in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, grow water intensive crops such as cotton and wheat using flood irrigation. Their challenges will only grow with climate change. The water flow of the Indus River – which the farmers rely on for their water supply – is predicted with the rapid retreat of the Himalayan glaciers.
The power of the drip
Using drip irrigation, farmers can save up to 95% of water and reduce fertiliser use, compared to surface irrigation, according to Malik Mohammad Akram, director general of the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) wing in the Punjab government’s agriculture department. In flood irrigation – the traditional method of agriculture in the region – a farmer uses 412,000 litres per acre, while using drip irrigation the same land can be irrigated with just 232,000 litres of water, he explained.
The water on Abdullah’s dune is pumped from a canal – which is part of the Indus Basin irrigation system – into a reservoir built on the land. “Being at the tail end [of the canal system], we needed to be assured the availability of water at all times and thus we had to construct a reservoir,” said Abdullah. For years now, farmers at the head of the canals have been “stealing” water causing much misery for farmers downstream.
Costly savings
But drip irrigation is expensive. Out of Abdullah’s 40 acres of orchards on drip irrigation, 30 acres are on sand dunes and ten acres are on land adjacent to the dune, locally known as “tibba” – a small sand dune surrounded by agricultural land. On the 30 acre-dune patch, Abdullah grows oranges on 18, feutral (another variety of orange) on another six acres, lemons on five acres and on one acre he has experimented with growing olives, which bore fruit this year.
In took three years of “micromanaging the orchards” before the orange and olive trees began fruiting last year. “We hope to break even this year and next year we should be in profit,” he said. It will take another four years to recoup all his investment, he calculated.
Abdullah was the first farmer to experiment with this new approach. Among many challenges that came his way was to get his farmhands to understand the new way of watering.
Akram has had a similar experience, “It is difficult for a traditional farmer to come to terms with it. Unless he sees the soaked soil with his eyes, he cannot believe the plant has been well watered.”
Solar provides respite
While Abdullah was saving water, the cost of diesel for running water pump was proving astronomical. Abdullah may not have been able to carry on farming with drip irrigation had the government not announced an 80% subsidy on solar power plants for farmers in 2018. He promptly took it up.
“Solar has been a life saver for us,” he said. Not only did the running costs decrease considerably, the solar system paid for itself in just one year, leaving only the costs of labour, fertilisers and chemicals.
Cultivating using drip irrigation is also not labour intensive. Abdullah’s 40-acres are tended to by just four labourers, who not only look after the orchards and watering system, but manage the solar plant too. “If we were doing traditional farming, our costs would have been much higher. We would need a tractor, six to eight labourers and a lot more water,” he said
For his orchards, the drip irrigation runs for about seven hours every day. “If it were running on diesel, we would be consuming 35 litres of diesel a day at the cost of PKR 4,270 (USD 30) per day,” Abdullah estimated.
Furthermore because it is precision watering to the roots, weed growth is minimal.
Trendsetting
Since he set up his drip system, Abdullah has received a trail of visitors. A young farmer from neighbouring Bahawalpur who visited the dune in 2015 was so impressed he set up the drip irrigation over 700 acres of land he was looking after for an ex-army officer.
“Ours is the only farm in Pakistan that has set up a drip irrigation system over such a huge tract – and in the desert too,” said Asif Riaz Taj, who manages Infiniti Agro and Livestock Farm. Now in their fourth year, the orchards have started fruiting over 70 acres. But it will not be before its sixth year, Taj said, that they will “break even”. The drip irrigation and solar plant was installed at a cost of PKR 25 million (USD 174,000), and the monthly running cost of this farm is almost PKR 4 million (USD 28,000).
Infiniti’s orchards get water from both groundwater using turbines as well as from the canal. “We have installed a 150 kilowatts solar plant for extracting water,” said Taj. The area is not completely sandy, such as the dune on Abdullah’s land, but it is still arid, and benefits hugely from drip irrigation.
Abdullah acknowledged that the drip system required a huge initial investment and warned that “unless one had strong financial backing”, it would be difficult.
“Our upfront cost was PKR 3.5 million (USD 25,000), but our running costs [of farming on the dune and tibba] went up to PKR 10 million (USD 70,621),” he explained. He was fortunate he had income coming from his other nearly 400 acres of land where he grows sugar cane, cotton and wheat.
Drip irrigation fails to fly
Despite such a resounding success at Abdullah’s farm, saving on water and the attractive government subsidies, few farmers are taking to drip irrigation, said OFWM’s Akram. Nevertheless since 2012, his department has installed 50,000 systems on 5,000 sites (with an average size of 10 acres). It should have been much more.
“The mindset change from the farmers has been slow and despite all out efforts we have been unable to push this water-saving technology,” he admitted.
The installation costs are prohibitively high despite the 60% subsidy, Akram said. Farmers also say drip irrigation is not appropriate for all kinds of irrigation, particularly not for row farming like wheat, maize and rice.
Farmers complain that the agricultural department and the company don’t provide proper after sales services. The untrained and uneducated farmers have to find solutions themselves or are left to the mercy of the drip system vendor. Corroborating this, Abdullah said: “That is one of the biggest causes of failures.”
Akram vehemently denied this, saying that the both company selling the drip irrigation system and the agriculture department handhold farmers, training them to resolve glitches coming their way.
Abdullah, however, is among the converts. He plans to expand the drip irrigation further for olives and mango orchards once profits are up.
Zofeen T. Ebrahim
June 01, 2019
Reducing water use in agriculture is key for Pakistan, a country facing severe water shortages. — Photo by Hasan Abdullah
Hassan Abdullah has pioneered the use of drip irrigation on dunes in Punjab, Pakistan. — Photo courtesy Third Pole
Drip irrigation is only possible with solar energy, far cheaper than diesel pumps used by so many farmers. — Photo by Hasan Abdullah
For as long as Hasan Abdullah can remember the 50-acre sandy dune on his 400-acre farmland in Sadiqabad, Pakistan’s Punjab province, was an irritant – nothing grew on it.
His farmland lies beside the vast Cholistan desert in a canal irrigated area east of the Indus River in Rahim Yar Khan district. Abdullah inherited it in 2005, when his father passed away. Until then he had been working in information technology.
In 2015, after much research, Abdullah took a “calculated risk” of cultivating the “barren” dune using the drip irrigation system. The government’s announcement of a 60% subsidy on drip irrigation was “a big incentive,” he said. Agriculture, through wasteful flood irrigation, accounts for over 80% water usage in a country facing severe water shortages.
Today, Abdullah’s dune is a sight to behold: fruit orchards have flourished in the sand. He admitted that without drip irrigation the “dune would never have produced anything.”
Water mixed with fertiliser is carried out through pipes with heads known as drippers, explained Abdullah, which release a certain amount of water per minute directly to the roots of each plant across the orchard.
And because watering is precise, there is no evaporation, no run off, and no wastage.
These new water saving techniques will be key to the future survival of Pakistan’s farmers, who face growing water shortages. Pakistan’s per capita water availability is very low, yet the agricultural sector is deeply inefficient in its water use and its productivity is low. Farmers in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, grow water intensive crops such as cotton and wheat using flood irrigation. Their challenges will only grow with climate change. The water flow of the Indus River – which the farmers rely on for their water supply – is predicted with the rapid retreat of the Himalayan glaciers.
The power of the drip
Using drip irrigation, farmers can save up to 95% of water and reduce fertiliser use, compared to surface irrigation, according to Malik Mohammad Akram, director general of the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) wing in the Punjab government’s agriculture department. In flood irrigation – the traditional method of agriculture in the region – a farmer uses 412,000 litres per acre, while using drip irrigation the same land can be irrigated with just 232,000 litres of water, he explained.
The water on Abdullah’s dune is pumped from a canal – which is part of the Indus Basin irrigation system – into a reservoir built on the land. “Being at the tail end [of the canal system], we needed to be assured the availability of water at all times and thus we had to construct a reservoir,” said Abdullah. For years now, farmers at the head of the canals have been “stealing” water causing much misery for farmers downstream.
Costly savings
But drip irrigation is expensive. Out of Abdullah’s 40 acres of orchards on drip irrigation, 30 acres are on sand dunes and ten acres are on land adjacent to the dune, locally known as “tibba” – a small sand dune surrounded by agricultural land. On the 30 acre-dune patch, Abdullah grows oranges on 18, feutral (another variety of orange) on another six acres, lemons on five acres and on one acre he has experimented with growing olives, which bore fruit this year.
In took three years of “micromanaging the orchards” before the orange and olive trees began fruiting last year. “We hope to break even this year and next year we should be in profit,” he said. It will take another four years to recoup all his investment, he calculated.
Abdullah was the first farmer to experiment with this new approach. Among many challenges that came his way was to get his farmhands to understand the new way of watering.
Akram has had a similar experience, “It is difficult for a traditional farmer to come to terms with it. Unless he sees the soaked soil with his eyes, he cannot believe the plant has been well watered.”
Solar provides respite
While Abdullah was saving water, the cost of diesel for running water pump was proving astronomical. Abdullah may not have been able to carry on farming with drip irrigation had the government not announced an 80% subsidy on solar power plants for farmers in 2018. He promptly took it up.
“Solar has been a life saver for us,” he said. Not only did the running costs decrease considerably, the solar system paid for itself in just one year, leaving only the costs of labour, fertilisers and chemicals.
Cultivating using drip irrigation is also not labour intensive. Abdullah’s 40-acres are tended to by just four labourers, who not only look after the orchards and watering system, but manage the solar plant too. “If we were doing traditional farming, our costs would have been much higher. We would need a tractor, six to eight labourers and a lot more water,” he said
For his orchards, the drip irrigation runs for about seven hours every day. “If it were running on diesel, we would be consuming 35 litres of diesel a day at the cost of PKR 4,270 (USD 30) per day,” Abdullah estimated.
Furthermore because it is precision watering to the roots, weed growth is minimal.
Trendsetting
Since he set up his drip system, Abdullah has received a trail of visitors. A young farmer from neighbouring Bahawalpur who visited the dune in 2015 was so impressed he set up the drip irrigation over 700 acres of land he was looking after for an ex-army officer.
“Ours is the only farm in Pakistan that has set up a drip irrigation system over such a huge tract – and in the desert too,” said Asif Riaz Taj, who manages Infiniti Agro and Livestock Farm. Now in their fourth year, the orchards have started fruiting over 70 acres. But it will not be before its sixth year, Taj said, that they will “break even”. The drip irrigation and solar plant was installed at a cost of PKR 25 million (USD 174,000), and the monthly running cost of this farm is almost PKR 4 million (USD 28,000).
Infiniti’s orchards get water from both groundwater using turbines as well as from the canal. “We have installed a 150 kilowatts solar plant for extracting water,” said Taj. The area is not completely sandy, such as the dune on Abdullah’s land, but it is still arid, and benefits hugely from drip irrigation.
Abdullah acknowledged that the drip system required a huge initial investment and warned that “unless one had strong financial backing”, it would be difficult.
“Our upfront cost was PKR 3.5 million (USD 25,000), but our running costs [of farming on the dune and tibba] went up to PKR 10 million (USD 70,621),” he explained. He was fortunate he had income coming from his other nearly 400 acres of land where he grows sugar cane, cotton and wheat.
Drip irrigation fails to fly
Despite such a resounding success at Abdullah’s farm, saving on water and the attractive government subsidies, few farmers are taking to drip irrigation, said OFWM’s Akram. Nevertheless since 2012, his department has installed 50,000 systems on 5,000 sites (with an average size of 10 acres). It should have been much more.
“The mindset change from the farmers has been slow and despite all out efforts we have been unable to push this water-saving technology,” he admitted.
The installation costs are prohibitively high despite the 60% subsidy, Akram said. Farmers also say drip irrigation is not appropriate for all kinds of irrigation, particularly not for row farming like wheat, maize and rice.
Farmers complain that the agricultural department and the company don’t provide proper after sales services. The untrained and uneducated farmers have to find solutions themselves or are left to the mercy of the drip system vendor. Corroborating this, Abdullah said: “That is one of the biggest causes of failures.”
Akram vehemently denied this, saying that the both company selling the drip irrigation system and the agriculture department handhold farmers, training them to resolve glitches coming their way.
Abdullah, however, is among the converts. He plans to expand the drip irrigation further for olives and mango orchards once profits are up.
ghazi52
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Water inflow in major rivers jumps to 249,700 cusecs
https://nation.com.pk/NewsSource/app
June 02, 2019
Water inflow in all major rivers has significantly improved due to shooting up mercury level and on Sunday it stood at 249,700 cusecs against outflow of 213,100 cusecs.
According to the data released by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) water inflow in river Indus at Tarbela was recorded as 94,300 cusecs against outflow of 80,000 cusecs.
https://nation.com.pk/NewsSource/app
June 02, 2019
Water inflow in all major rivers has significantly improved due to shooting up mercury level and on Sunday it stood at 249,700 cusecs against outflow of 213,100 cusecs.
According to the data released by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) water inflow in river Indus at Tarbela was recorded as 94,300 cusecs against outflow of 80,000 cusecs.
ghazi52
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Pak-China FoA on agriculture finalized
Pak-China framework of agreement (FoA) on agriculture finalized during the visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to China.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing has said “Pakistan-China academia- research cooperation particularly in the field of agriculture will be further strengthened for development and prosperity,” adding that agriculture is groundwork of the nation’s economy.
He highlights that 40 years ago, when China began introducing reforms, they started with agriculture and now they are feeding the largest population of 1.4 billion people. He said Pakistan is also providing food to 200 million people due to agricultural intervention.
Moreover, a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad with Institute of Plant Protection And Soil Science, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China and another MoU with Zhejiang University were signed to collaborate in the area of academia and research.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa, UAF vice chancellor said the university had been enjoying excellent ties with China and had inked more than 30 MoUs with Chinese universities and agriculture institutes.
He said that additional intensification in ties would help us to brawl frequent challenges in the agriculture sector.
Pak-China framework of agreement (FoA) on agriculture finalized during the visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan to China.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing has said “Pakistan-China academia- research cooperation particularly in the field of agriculture will be further strengthened for development and prosperity,” adding that agriculture is groundwork of the nation’s economy.
He highlights that 40 years ago, when China began introducing reforms, they started with agriculture and now they are feeding the largest population of 1.4 billion people. He said Pakistan is also providing food to 200 million people due to agricultural intervention.
Moreover, a Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad with Institute of Plant Protection And Soil Science, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China and another MoU with Zhejiang University were signed to collaborate in the area of academia and research.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa, UAF vice chancellor said the university had been enjoying excellent ties with China and had inked more than 30 MoUs with Chinese universities and agriculture institutes.
He said that additional intensification in ties would help us to brawl frequent challenges in the agriculture sector.
ghazi52
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PAD to install high efficiency irrigation system for introducing new modes of irrigation
June 11, 2019
The Punjab Agriculture Department will install high efficiency irrigation system for introducing new modes of irrigation among the farmer community in the province.
According to the spokesmen of the department, this system will enable the farmers to save half of their time, labour and water of crops.
He said that the department has set a target of repairing more than nine hundred watercourses during the current year to stop the wastage of canal water.
June 11, 2019
The Punjab Agriculture Department will install high efficiency irrigation system for introducing new modes of irrigation among the farmer community in the province.
According to the spokesmen of the department, this system will enable the farmers to save half of their time, labour and water of crops.
He said that the department has set a target of repairing more than nine hundred watercourses during the current year to stop the wastage of canal water.
ghazi52
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Punjab Budget 2019_20 ... Agriculture Total Allocation Rs. 40.8 bln,
subsidies, crop insurance Rs 5.35 bln, Agri Smart Cards Rs 50 mln, Model Auction Markets, Solarization of Drip Irrigation Rs 600 mln, Internship to 160 Agri graduates Rs 70 mln
subsidies, crop insurance Rs 5.35 bln, Agri Smart Cards Rs 50 mln, Model Auction Markets, Solarization of Drip Irrigation Rs 600 mln, Internship to 160 Agri graduates Rs 70 mln
ghazi52
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ISLAMABAD: The government has enhanced allocation for the development of agriculture sector by 1,200% and has earmarked Rs 12.5 billion in the federal budget for fiscal year 2019-20 compared to just Rs 1 billion in the previous budget, said Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the minister said provincial allocations would also be enhanced to Rs 50 billion for fiscal year 2019-20.
“In addition to this, no new tax or duty is being imposed on any agricultural input in the budget for FY20 as the government is determined to provide maximum relief to farmers for the uplift of agriculture and development of national economy,” he said.
Rs280b package announced for agriculture sector
“All previous government's neglected the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of national economy and a major source of industrial raw material and employment.”
However, the minister emphasised, the current government gave priority to the agriculture sector and enhanced spending for the development of agriculture and livestock sectors on modern lines in addition to identifying the areas to make the two sectors profit-oriented.
He disclosed that the government was going to launch 13 new development projects in these sectors in collaboration with provincial governments for increasing per-acre crop yield and alleviating poverty in rural areas.
“After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, agriculture has become a provincial subject and now it is the prime responsibility of these governments to take measures for uplift of the sector,” he pointed out.
“Out of the total allocation for these 13 projects, the federal government will provide Rs92.5 billion for enhancement of crop productivity, livestock development, aquaculture, seed supply, water lining and mechanisation of farms.”
The food security minister said projects would be initiated by the start of next fiscal year as they had been approved by the government. The projects would mainly focus on crop yield enhancement, oilseed supply, pulses production and fattening of calves as well as fish farming.
He pointed out that special measures would also be introduced to harness the potential of international halal meat market.
Sultan highlighted that a ban was imposed on the export of live animals and a memorandum of understanding was also signed with China to capture the market as it was importing meat worth $15 billion annually from across the globe.
He said steps had been initiated to exploit the aquaculture potential along about 1,120km-long coastal line by promoting the fish caging culture as well as trout farming.
“About 90% of the total available water is used for agriculture production, of which about 47% is wasted due to inefficiencies in irrigation,” he expressed concern. “Such inefficiencies will be removed by farm mechanisation, water course lining and management.”
Small and medium dams would be constructed and command areas under these dams would also be enhanced, he revealed.
He reiterated the government’s determination to ensure proper prices for all major crops, claiming that under the current government, farmers of wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton received proper fixed prices for their produce.
“Electricity charges for tube wells, which were enhanced from Rs5.35 per unit to Rs6.85 per unit, will be reduced and general sales tax on other agriculture inputs will also be slashed by taking provincial governments on board,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2019.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the minister said provincial allocations would also be enhanced to Rs 50 billion for fiscal year 2019-20.
“In addition to this, no new tax or duty is being imposed on any agricultural input in the budget for FY20 as the government is determined to provide maximum relief to farmers for the uplift of agriculture and development of national economy,” he said.
Rs280b package announced for agriculture sector
“All previous government's neglected the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of national economy and a major source of industrial raw material and employment.”
However, the minister emphasised, the current government gave priority to the agriculture sector and enhanced spending for the development of agriculture and livestock sectors on modern lines in addition to identifying the areas to make the two sectors profit-oriented.
He disclosed that the government was going to launch 13 new development projects in these sectors in collaboration with provincial governments for increasing per-acre crop yield and alleviating poverty in rural areas.
“After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, agriculture has become a provincial subject and now it is the prime responsibility of these governments to take measures for uplift of the sector,” he pointed out.
“Out of the total allocation for these 13 projects, the federal government will provide Rs92.5 billion for enhancement of crop productivity, livestock development, aquaculture, seed supply, water lining and mechanisation of farms.”
The food security minister said projects would be initiated by the start of next fiscal year as they had been approved by the government. The projects would mainly focus on crop yield enhancement, oilseed supply, pulses production and fattening of calves as well as fish farming.
He pointed out that special measures would also be introduced to harness the potential of international halal meat market.
Sultan highlighted that a ban was imposed on the export of live animals and a memorandum of understanding was also signed with China to capture the market as it was importing meat worth $15 billion annually from across the globe.
He said steps had been initiated to exploit the aquaculture potential along about 1,120km-long coastal line by promoting the fish caging culture as well as trout farming.
“About 90% of the total available water is used for agriculture production, of which about 47% is wasted due to inefficiencies in irrigation,” he expressed concern. “Such inefficiencies will be removed by farm mechanisation, water course lining and management.”
Small and medium dams would be constructed and command areas under these dams would also be enhanced, he revealed.
He reiterated the government’s determination to ensure proper prices for all major crops, claiming that under the current government, farmers of wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton received proper fixed prices for their produce.
“Electricity charges for tube wells, which were enhanced from Rs5.35 per unit to Rs6.85 per unit, will be reduced and general sales tax on other agriculture inputs will also be slashed by taking provincial governments on board,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2019.
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