RECORDER REPORT

SIALKOT: Under the directive of the Punjab government, a four-year plan has been chalked out costing more than Rs 2.14 billion for the promotion of agriculture and prosperity of farmers in the province.

Sources in Agriculture department told Business Recorder on Sunday that under the plan, special attention would be focused on reclamation of water-logging and salinity hit land in different district of the Punjab.

The reclamation is the process of changing land that rendered unfit for farming sources said. The proposed reclamation programme would be supportive in making water-logging and salinity hit land cultivable across the province.

The proposed plan would be carried out during next fiscal year and the government was making adequate arrangements for initiating the proposed plan for attaining yielding results, sources added.

The Punjab government under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister has initiated a detailed plan to introduce new modes to promote agriculture sector on modern lines and to save the irrigation water through modern irrigation system.

About 25 percent canal water, 30 percent water courses and 35 percent water is wasted in agriculture fields from available water resources as a result of which availability of water reduced to 45 million acre feet whereas required water is 65 million acres feet is needed for crops annually in Punjab.

The Punjab government has set aside Rs 4.76 billion for a three year plan for the promotion of per acre yield in the province. Under the programme, special attention has been accorded on introducing modern irrigation technologies to cope with the fast climatic changes.

Drip irrigation system under the programme had been installed on over 11,000 acres of land while solar system for drip sprinkler had also been installed over 1500 acres of land in various parts of the Punjab. Similarly under the government initiatives special steps had also been taken for the promotion of tunnel farming technology and so far tunnel farm technology had been installed over 350 acres of land in Punjab.

The tunnel farming will help promote the growing off-season vegetables around the year which will be supportive in improving the economic conditions of the growers of the province. The programme will pave the way for introducing modern and profitable farming, enhancing productivity, lessening the productivity expenditures, better utilization of fertilizers and pesticides and save the water.

The government will provide 80 percent subsidy on installation of Solar system while the government will also provide 50 percent subsidy on the installation of Tunnels (Tunnel farm Technology) and 60 percent subsidy for sprinkler irrigation in the province, sources added.