MULTAN: Punjab Agriculture Department Secretary Muhammad Mehmood has said that timely completion of agricultural development projects for the benefit of farmers is the mission of the provincial government.
In order to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives in a given time frame, he directed the officers concerned to play an active role so that fruits of the projects could reach the farmers in a transparent way.
He was speaking at a biannual performance review meeting held at the Mango Research Institute where divisional and district heads of the Agriculture Department Multan Division were present.
Mehmood said the Punjab Agriculture Department had started a five-year project to distribute high-value date plants free of charge and seedless kinnow plants at subsidised rates. The project is worth Rs780 million.
According to the programme, the Agriculture Department will provide high-value varieties of date plants to the farmers of nine districts of south Punjab whereas seedless kinnow plants will be provided to the growers in six districts.
The agriculture secretary said that heavy subsidy schemes had been introduced for the high-efficiency irrigation system, fertilisers, tube wells, electricity tariff, canola and sunflower cultivation. Judicious use of public resources would be ensured at every level, he remarked.
“Sowing of cotton before the start of April is completely banned in the province, hence, farmers are advised not to sow cotton before the first of April.”
He directed the officers concerned that final assessment of pesticides and fertilisers at laboratories for ISO certification should be completed till February 28.