RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab government is setting up ‘hi-tech agricultural machinery centre’ at a cost of Rs 1.80 billion to promote mechanized farming aimed at helping growers to increase their farm output.

These centers will be set up in public private partnership to provide access to the growers to latest hi-tech agricultural machinery and will demonstrate the modern technologies to end users for their large scale introduction and promotion.

Though this scheme will be implemented throughout the province but in first phase these are planned in 18 districts. These include Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Sheikhupura, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Kasur, Jhang, Sargodha, Okara, Khanewal, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Multan, Chakwal and DG Khan.

The Punjab Agriculture Department’s circles said that firms dealing in agricultural machinery and farmers cooperative societies can apply to have financial assistance from the government for setting up these model agricultural machinery centers. The eligible firms or societies can apply till October 13, 2017.

Pakistan is an agricultural country and farm mechanization is an important ingredient of the strategy to accelerate growth rate in agriculture sector. Main constraints in increasing agricultural productivity are non-availability of farm machinery to the farmers at right time and at affordable prices.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the department has urged the growers to adopt latest techniques and methods for spraying of pesticide on different crops. He said that experts have asked for using high quality machinery and proper nozzle for spray of pesticides and other poisons.