Commissioner For Extensive Mango Plantation

Commissioner Imran Sikandar Baloch Wednesday stressed on planting more mango trees extensively pleading it to be the only way to cover the mango area which lost to urbanization during last few decades.

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2018 ) :Commissioner Imran Sikandar Baloch Wednesday stressed on planting more mango trees extensively pleading it to be the only way to cover the mango area which lost to urbanization during last few decades.

Presiding over a meeting here, commissioner said that the exotic fruit was the identity of this area and stressed on the need for a suitable strategy to enhance mango area, production and exports.

Imran Sikandar Baloch said that mindless expansion of housing colonies were taking its toll on mango area along with other crops but added this loss should be compensated by planting more mango trees.

He also stressed on the need to train farmers and agriculture labour force on modern day technologies to meet the international standards so as to penetrate international markets.

Director Mango Research Institute Allah Bakhsh said that changing weather behaviour, pests attack and investors' focus on residential colonies driven by temptation of quick and higher profits have reduced the mango area.

He, however, added that agriculture department was distributing 400,000 mango saplings annually among farmers to check this problem.

The commissioner also got briefed from labour and education departments.

Director Labour Jamshed Farooq said that total 1902 factories were operational in Multan division, adding the department conducted 513 inspections of industrial units to check child labour. Total 46 FIRs had been got registered and nineteen persons arrested, he added.

Moreover, he said, 4553 inspections were conducted to check forced labour and 31 violators were named in FIR and nine of them had been arrested.

Deputy director secondary education said that 4743 government schools were functioning in the division including 3013 Primary schools, 1014 elementary schools and 707 higher secondary schools.

He said that school enrollment target had been achieved by 95 per cent in Multan, 85 per cent in Khanewal, 76 per cent in Lodhran, and 85 per cent in Vehari.