MULTAN:Additional Chief Secretary Saqib Zafar said on Monday that Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme should be formulated to modernize agriculture sector in the South Punjab.
He was chairing a meeting to review the performance of agriculture department South Punjab.
South Punjab has a significant role in the country’s agricultural production, he said and added that steps should be taken on priority to convert potential crops into high value crops, Saqib Zafar instructed.
Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ateel briefed the additional chief secretary and stated that total agricultural area of south Punjab was 16.897 million acres. Out of which, 11.92 million is cultivable while 4.997 million acres is barren.
Steps are being taken to make the agricultural areas cultivable. He added that several practices were being done to promote high value crops in the region. However, currently, three percent area is under cultivation of high value crops. Efforts are in progress to improve the area. Ateel informed that value addition programmes were also in progress to improve shelf life and quality of agricultural products. Mango is identity of region, said Ateel.
He claimed that 98 % mangoes were produced in south Punjab. Similarly, 59 % dates, 73 % onion, 49 % sugarcane, 44 % wheat, 45 % maize, and 20% rice are produced in the region.
Additional Chief Secretary Saqib Zafar remarked that there was scope for further increase in agricultural production to meet the food requirements and earn valuable foreign exchange. On this occasion, several other uplift schemes of agriculture department came under discussion.