Over 75,000 Bio-agent Control Cards Provided To Sugarcane Growers Under NAEP

The government had produced over 76,600 bio-agent cards to reduce use of chemical spray and pesticides on different crops for promoting echo-friendly agriculture in the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2021 ) :The government had produced over 76,600 bio-agent cards to reduce use of chemical spray and pesticides on different crops for promoting echo-friendly agriculture in the country.

The bio-agents cards were also distributed among the sugarcane farmer for biological control of insects for producing chemical free agriculture produces by reducing the reliance on the use of chemicals, said an official in the Ministry of National food Security and Research.

Talking to APP here on Monday, he said that the assistance was provided under productivity enhancement project of major crop, which initiated under Prime Minister National Agriculture Emergency Program.

He further informed that bio-control agent was one of the safest ways to manage the insect pests, which consists of conservation, augmentation and importation of biological based technologies, adding that last two steps require rearing of bio-control agents.

Under the program, 04 trainings on insect-pests and diseases of sugarcane were also organized , which was attended by the field extension workers, he said adding that 22 surveys regarding insect-pests, diseases and nutrients management organized in order to enhance output of sugarcane.

Meanwhile, he said that about 282 numbers of field equipments and machinery booked by the farmers from Agriculture Extension Department Punjab and 72 were distributed to farmers, adding that 725 demonstration trials conducted, however data records were under process.

Besides other activities, he said that two farmer gathering and seminars, one technical committee meeting, one Sino-Pak Symposium and one annual research and development activities planning meeting were conducted in order to create awareness among the farmers in order to achieve higher per-acre out-put by using best crop management practices.

It is worth mentioning here that the government had launched Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Program (NAEP) of Rs309 billion in different areas of agriculture sector on cost sharing basis between the Federal and provincial governments.

The program also included conservation of water, increase in yields of major crops, livestock initiative for small and medium farmers, transformation of agriculture produce market, and increased access of farmers to finance.