Potato Production Plan 2024-25 Discussed

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th May, 2024) Director General Farm and Training Lahore Dr Ishtiaz Ahmad has said that potato is a nutritious food that is rich in vitamins, nutrients, mineral salts, water and fiber. Pakistan is exporting potatoes to 37 countries and earning valuable foreign exchange annually.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting held for approval of potato production plan 2024-25 at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad here on Friday. Chief Scientist Agriculture Research Institute Potato Sahiwal Dr. Ijaz Al Hasan, Director Agriculture Research Institute Vegetables Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Director Farm and Training Punjab Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad and others were present in the meeting.

Principal Scientist Dr. Mohammad Nadeem, Deputy Director Agriculture Pest Warning Faisalabad Asrar Ahmed, Vice President Potato Growers Association Pakistan Chaudhry Maqsood Ahmed Jatt and Coordinator of Korea Program for Cooperation Agriculture Technology Dr. Aish Mohammad were also present.

The Director General Dr Ishtiaz Ahmad said that all available resources were being utilized to increase per acre production of potato and AARI was making significant progress for modern research on potato crop in district Sahiwal.

On the occasion, Dr. Syed Ejazul Hasan highlighted the importance of potato and said that potato has become a strategic crop all over the world including Pakistan due to its nutritional value. The agronomists of Potato Research Institute, Sahiwal have introduced 12 local new varieties of potato in a very short period of time through round-the-clock efforts which are capable of better coping with changing climatic conditions i.

e. drought. These species are also resistant to fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, he said.

Director Vegetable AARI Dr. Muhammad Iqbal said that as compared to last year, there has been a slight decrease in the area under potato cultivation this year and an increase in production has been noted due to better weather conditions.

Vice President Pakistan Potato Growers Association board and progressive potato grower Chaudhry Maqsood Ahmed Jutt said that Pakistan was among the top 10 potato producing countries. Potato exports from Pakistan have increased significantly over the past few years. He urged the officials of the Punjab Statistical Institute to expand the survey in Punjab and release the correct data on the total cultivated area and production of potato so that in the light of the data, the government can frame potato export policy.

Earlier, all the stakeholders present in the meeting approved to incorporate the recommendations made in the light of modern research in the Potato Production Plan 2024-25.

Dr. Ishtiaq Hasan directed that this information booklet should be delivered at the doorsteps of all farmers by the agricultural extension staff so that potato farmers can increase the per acre yield of potato by following the modern agricultural recommendations included in this production plan.