Agri Dept, Nestle To Collaborate In Water Saving, Improvement Of Chaunsa

LAHORE, Jan 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Jan, 2017 ) : The Punjab Agriculture Department and Nestle Pakistan here Tuesday signed two MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) to collaborate in improving agricultural sustainability for the Chaunsa (mango), and Water Resource Management.

For the Chaunsa Project, Nestle Pakistan would take on board Mango Research Institute Multan as a research partner, and the company hoped that having access to latest research in mango sector and best farm practices would enable it to build on the work it was already doing with mango farmers.

Under the Water Resource Management Project, Nestle will partner with the Water Management Wing of Agriculture Department for a programme which offers a 60 per cent subsidy to farmers who employ High Efficiency Irrigation Systems (drip irrigation) and other water conservation techniques, technologies and practices.

Nestle will bear the 40 per cent share that the farmer owes to the government. The pilot project is spread over 10 acres, located around Sheikhupura district. The company wants to extend it to 50 acres by the end of 2017.

On this occasion, Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood said:"More than 90 per cent of water usage is for agriculture and in order to successfully tackle the impending water shortage, we need to encourage farmers to become mindful of how they use water." He said Chaunsa was one of the best varieties of mango with huge export potential, but again, there was a need to teach farmers how to improve quality and quantity of their yield.

Nestle Pakistan is a perfect partner because it is well poised to help us make a difference, he added. Nestle Pakistan Head of Corporate Affairs, Waqar Ahmad, said that their approach to sustainable business or Creating Shared Value, was also in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); in this case the second (Zero Hunger - promoting sustainable agriculture) and the sixth (Clean Water and Sanitation - sustainable management of water).

"We believe in resolving global challenge through a multi-stakeholder approach and that is what we are doing through these MoUs," he maintained.