National Program To Enhance Productivity Of Rice

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2020 ) :Under PM Agriculture Emergency programme, a five-year plan costing Rs.6.63 billion was launched in 15 districts of Punjab to enhance profitability through increasing productivity of rice,said Deputy Director Agriculture Abdul Sami Tahir on Thursday here. .

Talking to APP, he said that under the program,the mechanized transplanting of rice nurseries will replace the outdated manual transplanting.

He added efforts were being made for timely sowing of identified ecological best varieties through the promotion of direct seedling of rice drills in the districts including Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Okara, Hafizabad, Nankana Sahib, Bahawalnagar, Jhang, Narowal, Kasur, Mandi Bahaudin, Chiniot, Gujrat, Lahore and Faisalabad districts where area under rice both Basmati and course verities would be brought under cultivation on 70,000 acres of land.

Under the programme, government will provide riding type rice transplanter, walk-after type rice transplanter, nursery raising machine, direct seedling drill, rice straw chopper, water tight motivator and knapsack power sprayer, disk plough on 50 percent subsidy, he disclosed.

Sami further said that the government will also provide subsidy to the rice growers for the purchase of tested paddy seeds and pesticides,adding subsidy amounting Rs.1500 per acre to the growers for encouraging combined harvesting.