Multiple Projects On The Cards To Boost Agricultural Production

QUETTA, Oct 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Oct, 2020 ) :Balochistan government striving to develop the agriculture sector on modern lines to spur job creation and economic growth in the province, said Director General Balochistan Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) Juma Khan Tareen.

Talking to APP, he said multiple projects were on the cards to facilitate the farmers for boosting agricultural production in the province.

The initiatives would help reduce poverty by creating employment opportunities, he added.

Juma Khan said BARI had hired experts to conduct the research in agricultural field which would eventually offer the farmers modern techniques to increase their agri production.

Highlighting the future projects, he said it included promotion of tunnel farming, revamping of the Agricultural Department's research laboratories, registration and certification of new varieties of wheat, rice, barley and vegetables and research work in multiple areas.

Under the vision of Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Zmarak Khan Achakzai, he said work on multiple agro projects had already been initiated.

"In order to promote modern farming in the province, 85 tunnel farms in 11 districts have been connected to solar energy to increase the agricultural production," he added.

The DG said a 1,000 ton capacity date processing plant and cold storage in Panjgur costing Rs 400 million was near completion.

The present government has earmarked funds for the enhancement of skills of the agricultural officers and technical staff of production sector.

The Balochistan government has allocated the fund in budget 2020-21 for provision of vehicles and motorcycles to one thousand field assistants, all district and divisional officers in agriculture department.

Tareen said that Rs 100 million have been allocated for setting up cold storage in Qila Saifullah and Kalat districts in the next financial year.