Govt To Promote Food & Medicinal Plant Moringa Growth In Country

The government would provide funds for promotion of moringa-oleifera, a food and medicinal plant, as it has a lot of potential to earn foreign exchange

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jan, 2018 ) :The government would provide funds for promotion of moringa-oleifera, a food and medicinal plant, as it has a lot of potential to earn foreign exchange.

This was stated by Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Mehmood while talking to APP here Monday. He said that the government would ensure promotion of moringa research by engaging more departments and allocating funds for the purpose.

He said the government has chalked out a plan to use one-lakh acre land for growing moringa crop and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad had been engaged in this regard. He said that India was earning $14 billion from moringa export whereas Pakistan is yet to explore this sector.

Gulrez Shahzad, a representative of Moringa Miracle Farms Ltd, told APP that in Europe, people have been using moringa tea and other products in large quantities and we have to explore this sector.

He said his organisation would provide up to five million moringa saplings to farmers and students at discounted rate to promote the crop. Gulrez said moringa had great value but unfortunately it had been neglected in the past.

He hoped that the incumbent government's steps would be helpful in promoting the crop. Gulrez said his organisation had country's largest moringa nursery and it had set up an internet portal to coordinate research and development of the crop.