Punjab Updates...

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Punjab approves 56 new varieties of different crops​

Recorder
March 25, 2023

LAHORE: The Punjab Seed Council (PSC) on Friday approved 56 new varieties of different crops submitted by the private and public sector organizations.

The approved varieties included paddy, hybrid maize, oats, gram, groundnut, rye, sunflower, sesame, berseem, dates, wheat and cotton. It was the 56th session of the Punjab Seed Council (PSC) which was held with Punjab Minister for Trade, Industries and Energy S M Tanveer in the chair.

The provincial minister gave approval for the general cultivation of 56 new varieties while directing to submit DNA fingerprint reports of seven different crop varieties within 15 days.


Speaking on this occasion, the minister said the government of Punjab was taking all possible steps to ensure the supply of quality agricultural inputs to the farmers to achieve the production targets.

The minister directed to set up of a sub-committee “Green Revolution 2” to review the problems faced in various types of crops. He also congratulated agricultural scientists for developing these varieties and directed to further improve the research trials for the future in the Punjab Seed Council. He also directed for making variety registration and DNA fingerprinting mandatory for the approval of agricultural commodity types.

He further said the government was paying special attention to the production of quality seeds to increase the agricultural production per acre with world-class seeds, which will also increase domestic exports.

Secretary of Agriculture Wasif Khursheed emphasized introducing modern harvesting technology. He urged agricultural scientists to discover varieties that could be profitable for five years or more in the field while keeping production costs low. He said that new varieties of crops with resistance were being prepared so that the attack of diseases on the crops is minimized and the agricultural production per acre can be increased.

He said instead of discovering more types, such types should be discovered which could give better results in the field. Apart from traditional agriculture, there were opportunities to increase the production of dates and fruits in our country.

The agriculture secretary declared the DNA fingerprinting report mandatory to protect the rights of pure seeds and breeders’ rights.

 

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PKR 2.5 Billion pivot irrigation project converts Thal desert into cultivable land​

By Fatima Javed
Jun 8, 2023

THAL, Jun.8, (Gwadar Pro)-The Pakistan-China joint venture, a PKR 2.5 billion pivot irrigation project, has effectively transformed 5,000 acres of the Thal desert into fertile green cultivable land.

Dr. Rana Fartab Shoukat, the Farm Manager at Samsons Agri Farms Rungpur, expressed during an interview with Gwadar Pro that the two-year-long Centre Pivot Project, collaborated between China's Haier and Pakistan's Samson's Group, has resulted in the successful cultivation of various crops and trees, including Rhodes grass, wheat, alfalfa, orchards, citrus fruits, mangoes, guavas, bamboo, olives, dates, and Bari.

The satellite image of the green land in heart of Thal desert, Punjab Pakistan

The project is situated in the Thal desert of Rangpur Muzaffarabad, Punjab province, and is equipped with state-of-the-art agricultural water-efficient machinery known as a central pivot system.

Fartab, who holds a PhD in Agricultural Entomology from South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, mentioned that they have two central pivots covering an area of 100 acres each, while the remaining seven central pivots span 132 acres each.

"The land was entirely desert, so we conducted soil sampling. The water condition was extremely poor, with no nutrients present in the soil," Fartab explained.

The improved soil structure of the desert to cultivate more crops.

He stated, "We planted our own Rhodes grass on the central pivots, for which we prepare compost using animal manure, poultry manure, and sugar beet or sugar cane mud. We create a proper compost mixture that includes earthworms, which serves as a fertilizer, thereby reducing the need for basic fertilizers like urea or MP."

"In areas where central pivots cannot be used, we employ drip irrigation methods. Previously, another company handled this for us, but now we have our own team responsible for its preparation," he added.

Fartab further mentioned that in addition to various types of oranges, they also cultivate between 1,500 and 2,500 date plants and guava. They are also undertaking a bamboo pilot project, and if successful, they plan to expand it in the future.

He emphasized that in areas where pivoting was not possible, they were engaged in forestry and plantation activities to promote a natural and stable ecosystem in those particular areas of land.

He expressed his satisfaction that people have begun to pay attention to this aspect, stating that to effectively address food shortages, it is crucial to improve desert cultivation methods. He mentioned, "I have previously implemented the same approach in China as well. Essentially, if we want to avoid food security issues and ensure an adequate food supply, we must improve our desert cultivation practices."

This transformative initiative has not only created significant employment opportunities for local communities but has also resulted in a substantial increase in Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings. According to the Farm Manager, the joint venture has generated considerable employment opportunities for local residents, offering both permanent and daily wage jobs.

The project employs approximately 270 individuals, including executives, farm managers, accountants, laborers, pivot operators, pivot maintenance staff, and 10 agrarians.

Center pivot irrigation systems have a longer lifespan of 40-50 years compared to drip irrigation systems, which typically last 5-8 years. This system proves to be efficient, especially in dealing with weather anomalies such as frost and heatwaves, thanks to its overhead irrigation systems with controllers.

 

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Construction of Lahore- Okara – Sahiwal – Bahawalnagar Motorway (Approx. 250 Km) allocated Rs 21 Million for Survey..


Construction of Lahore- Okara – Sahiwal – Bahawalnagar Motorway (Approx. 250 Km) allocated Rs 21 Million for Survey...

 

[Maula Jatt]

Look at Philippines & south India for inspiration

Make Punjab an IT powerhouse- that's what our CM's should focus on from now on

Export oriented industry, agricultural output, IT exports

https://twitter.com/x/status/1671086749118873602

 

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Govt plans to release wheat to mills through auction​

By Staff Reporter
Jun 20, 2023

The Punjab government is contemplating introducing an innovative auction system for issuance of wheat to flour mills from official warehouses.

As per proposed wheat release policy, instead of giving quota of highly-subsidised wheat to flour mills in the absence of a foolproof system about subsequent grinding of grain and selling to masses on controlled rate, the Food Department is pondering to sell wheat to flour mills in district-level through an open auction. Secretary Food, Zaman Watto, chaired a consultative meeting on ending wheat quota system for flour mills.

According to a spokesperson for the Food Department, the government is also considering direct subsidy in the form of flour to the deserving households in addition to planning sale of wheat through auction by abolishing the quota system of mills. In view of past embezzlement of wheat quota, he observed, flour mills will be bound to sell the allocation of the respective district in the same district.

The sale of government wheat through auction in the market will stabilise flour prices.

According to the official, how the government wheat quota system has been used by mills as a source of looting can be gauged from the fact that till March of this year some flour mills were found involved in selling wheat quota purchased at 2,200 rupees at double the price of Rs4,200 to 4,800 per maund.

Four mills of a group located on Manga Raiwind Road were raided and it was found that these mills were completely closed but were taking quota regularly. Their daily quota was more than 8,000 maund. A high-level committee is conducting an inquiry into the entire incident.

Many flour mills have given consent to provincial Food Department for implementation of new balanced approach of providing equal opportunities to all flour mills to buy wheat from the government in a fair competition, the official said.

 

[ghazi52]

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Sir Ganga Ram [13 April, 1851 - 10 July, 1927]

Sir Ganga Ram [13 April, 1851 - 10 July, 1927] civil engineer and leading philanthropist of his time, who established the Renala Hydel Power Station in Renala Khurd [Okara] in 1925.

The man behind:*Aitchison College, Lahore * Mayo Hospital, Lahore * Sir Gangaram Hospital, Lahore * General Post Office, Lahore * Hailey College of Banking and Finance, Lahore [formerly Hailey College of Commerce]* The Mall, Lahore * National College of Arts, Lahore [formerly Mayo College of Arts]* Lahore Museum* Lahore College for Women University [formerly Sir Gangaram High School]In 1873, after a brief Service in Punjab P.W.D devoted himself to practical farming.

He obtained on lease from Government 50,000 acres [200 km²] of barren, unirrigated land in Montgomery district, and within three years converted that vast desert into smiling fields, irrigated by water lifted by a hydroelectric plant and running through a thousand miles of irrigation channels, all constructed at his own cost.

This was the biggest private enterprise of the kind, unknown and unthought-of in the country before. Sir Ganga Ram earned millions most of which he gave to charity.In the words of Sir Malcolm Hailey, the Governor of Punjab, "he won like a hero and gave like a Saint". He was a great engineer and a great philanthropist.

He designed and built General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Aitchison College, Mayo School of Arts (now the NCA), Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan Girls High School, the chemistry department of the Government College University, the Albert Victor wing of Mayo Hospital, the Hailey College of Commerce, Ravi Road House for the Disabled, the Ganga Ram Trust Building on The Mall and Lady Maynard Industrial School. He also constructed Model Town, once the best locality of Lahore, the powerhouse at Renala Khurd as well as the railway track between Pathankot and Amritsar.

He built Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan School and Renala Khurd Power House with his own money.He was a promising agriculturist, too.

He purchased thousands acres of barren land in Lyallpur [now Faisalabad] on lease and by using engineering skills and modern irrigation methods, turned the arid lands into fertile fields. He retired in 1903.

He died in London on July 10, 1927. His body was cremated and his ashes were brought back to India. A portion of the ashes were consigned to Ganga River and the rest buried in Lahore on the bank of the Ravi.

A statue of Sir Ganga Ram once stood on Mall Road in Lahore. Saadat Hasan Manto, the famous Urdu writer, in one of his stories on the frenzy of riots of 1947 writes that an inflamed mob in Lahore attacked the statue of Sir Ganga Ram. They first pelted the statue with stones; then smothered its face with coal tar. Then a man made a garland of old shoes climbed up to put it round the neck of the statue. The police arrived and opened fire. Among the injured were the fellow with the garland of old shoes. As he fell, the mob shouted: “Let us rush him to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital..."

 

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World Bank board approves $100mn for ‘Punjab Family Planning Program’​

• Project aims to provide timely access to quality family planning services free of charge

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on Thursday approved $100 million for the Punjab Family Planning Program, as it seeks to increase the utilization of family planning services in the country’s largest province.

As per a statement, the program will provide timely access to family planning services free of charge.

It will also institutionalize quality of care across the family planning services delivery system, and support public information and advocacy campaigns so that more families are made aware of the benefits of family planning, the World Bank said.

“This important program aims to achieve universal access to reproductive healthcare and to raise the usage of family planning methods in Punjab to 60% by 2030,” Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, was quoted as saying in the press release.

“This is critical for Pakistan’s development, as excessive population growth rates hampers development, slows the accumulation of human capital, and contributes to keeping families in poverty,” he said.

 

[ghazi52]

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100-bed cardiac care hospital, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar Institute of Cardiology, in Dera Ghazi Khan.

This project would facilitate the residents of the region by providing top-notch medical provisions and services to treat various health illnesses, particularly cardiovascular diseases. The outpatient department of the hospital has been inaugurated and is fully functional.

 

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Under Construction University of Applied Engineering and Emerging Technologies (UAEET) in Sambrial.
This project aims to be a top notch research and design university, which would house various centers of excellence in the cutting-edge fields of science and technology.

© Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab - IDAP

 

[ghazi52]

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Samson Agro Farm, Muzaffargarh.
Turning Barren Land into Agricultural Land in Muzaffargarh.

 

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Consultative session held to finalise Punjab Agriculture Strategic Plan​

LAHORE: Unfortunately, in the past, no long-term policy has been formulated for increasing production and value...

 

[ghazi52]

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Tuesday, August 29, 2023 ...The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved five development schemes of the Energy and Roads sector with an estimated cost of Rs 5995.707 million.

These schemes were approved in the 13th meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of the current financial year 2023-24 presided over by the Chairman P&D Board Mr.Iftikhar Ali Sahoo. Secretary P&D Board Mr Nadir Chattha was also present in meeting.

The approved schemes are included:

Improvement of Energy Efficiency in WASA Systems at the cost of Rs 676.030 million,

Dualization of Shahi Road from Rahim yar Khan to Chowk Bahadur Pur (KLP Road) Length 10.50 km Rahimyar Khan at the cost of Rs 1683.615 million,

Dualization / Improvement of Multan Mattital Road, Length = 21.00 Km, District Multan at the cost of Rs 2618.161 million,

Dual Carriageway from Allahabad (old Tehsil Headquarter) to liaqat Pur (Tehsil Headquarter) length 6.00 km, District Rahim yar Khan at the cost of Rs 517.901,

Solarization of Public Buildings at the cost of Rs 500 million.

 

[ziaulislam]

Imagine the potential using this

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PKR 2.5 Billion pivot irrigation project converts Thal desert into cultivable land​

By Fatima Javed
Jun 8, 2023

THAL, Jun.8, (Gwadar Pro)-The Pakistan-China joint venture, a PKR 2.5 billion pivot irrigation project, has effectively transformed 5,000 acres of the Thal desert into fertile green cultivable land.

Dr. Rana Fartab Shoukat, the Farm Manager at Samsons Agri Farms Rungpur, expressed during an interview with Gwadar Pro that the two-year-long Centre Pivot Project, collaborated between China's Haier and Pakistan's Samson's Group, has resulted in the successful cultivation of various crops and trees, including Rhodes grass, wheat, alfalfa, orchards, citrus fruits, mangoes, guavas, bamboo, olives, dates, and Bari.

The satellite image of the green land in heart of Thal desert, Punjab Pakistan

The project is situated in the Thal desert of Rangpur Muzaffarabad, Punjab province, and is equipped with state-of-the-art agricultural water-efficient machinery known as a central pivot system.

Fartab, who holds a PhD in Agricultural Entomology from South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, mentioned that they have two central pivots covering an area of 100 acres each, while the remaining seven central pivots span 132 acres each.

"The land was entirely desert, so we conducted soil sampling. The water condition was extremely poor, with no nutrients present in the soil," Fartab explained.

The improved soil structure of the desert to cultivate more crops.

He stated, "We planted our own Rhodes grass on the central pivots, for which we prepare compost using animal manure, poultry manure, and sugar beet or sugar cane mud. We create a proper compost mixture that includes earthworms, which serves as a fertilizer, thereby reducing the need for basic fertilizers like urea or MP."

"In areas where central pivots cannot be used, we employ drip irrigation methods. Previously, another company handled this for us, but now we have our own team responsible for its preparation," he added.

Fartab further mentioned that in addition to various types of oranges, they also cultivate between 1,500 and 2,500 date plants and guava. They are also undertaking a bamboo pilot project, and if successful, they plan to expand it in the future.

He emphasized that in areas where pivoting was not possible, they were engaged in forestry and plantation activities to promote a natural and stable ecosystem in those particular areas of land.

He expressed his satisfaction that people have begun to pay attention to this aspect, stating that to effectively address food shortages, it is crucial to improve desert cultivation methods. He mentioned, "I have previously implemented the same approach in China as well. Essentially, if we want to avoid food security issues and ensure an adequate food supply, we must improve our desert cultivation practices."

This transformative initiative has not only created significant employment opportunities for local communities but has also resulted in a substantial increase in Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings. According to the Farm Manager, the joint venture has generated considerable employment opportunities for local residents, offering both permanent and daily wage jobs.

The project employs approximately 270 individuals, including executives, farm managers, accountants, laborers, pivot operators, pivot maintenance staff, and 10 agrarians.

Center pivot irrigation systems have a longer lifespan of 40-50 years compared to drip irrigation systems, which typically last 5-8 years. This system proves to be efficient, especially in dealing with weather anomalies such as frost and heatwaves, thanks to its overhead irrigation systems with controllers.

 

[ghazi52]

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In a historic first for Punjab, a road made from plastic has been constructed. The Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Raza Naqvi, officially opened the Zafar Ali Plastic Road, which stretches from Lahore Gymkhana Mall Road to Jail Road.

This project received technical support from professors at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET). The plastic road proves to be not only 60% more cost-effective than traditional tar roads but also boasts 100% greater durability.

The Caretaker Chief Minister shared that the plastic road from Lahore Gymkhana to Jail Road incurred a cost of Rs20 million, whereas a tarred road of the same length would have cost Rs60 million. Plans are underway to expand this initiative, with Mall Road set to undergo a transformation into a Plastic Road as well.

 

[ghazi52]

Multan ,
500 Bed Under Construction Nishtar II Hospital Multan
The project is currently under construction in its phase 01 which includes a 500-bed hospital building along with staff accommodation and allied facilities.
© Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab - IDAP