Strong and vibrant agriculture sector is vital to ensure food security by extending maximum socio economic facilities to the hard working peasants’ community:Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur

Strong and vibrant agriculture sector is vital to ensure food security by extending maximum socio economic facilities to the hard working peasants’ community:Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur

                        BAHAWALPUR(PR)Strong and vibrant agriculture sector is vital to ensure food security by extending maximum socio economic facilities to the hard working peasants’ community. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal while presiding over a joint meeting of district agricultural advisory committee and agriculture task force, at his committee room, on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Nausheen Malik, Assistant Commissioner Bahawalpur City Rao Tasleem Akhter, Assistant Commissioner Sadar Husnain Khalid Sanpal, Deputy Director Agriculture Mian Muhammad Manzoor, Member Kisan Board Jam Hazoor Bukhsh and other officers and officials of the concerned departments.

“The registration of 45671 peasants and farmers for issuance of Kisan cards is a major initiative for comprehensive documentation of the particulars of the peasants which would systemize the process of extending socio economic facilities and guidance regarding modern agriculture practices which would bring prosperity in the rural areas”, Deputy Commissioner Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal maintained.

                                Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal directed the top functionaries of agriculture department to focus their energies regarding public awareness about proper use of pesticides, fertilizers and selecting proper seeds for cultivation and utilization of modern agriculture equipments to streamline the agriculture sector on modern scientific lines. He further urged upon the agriculture field staff to maximize their endeavor through a comprehensive mechanism to extend proper guidance to the peasants at the grass root level.

                                The meeting was briefed that the total area of Bahawalpur is estimated to be 15,14,784 acres while 10,62,573 acres of land is under cultivation and 39000 acres of land has forest cultivated over it.

                                The meeting was further apprised of that a target for wheat cultivation for the year 2016 and 2017 stands at 7,22000 acres of land while the wheat crop is cultivated at 7,24,946 acres of land.

                                Deputy Director Agriculture extension Mian Muhammad Manzoor apprised of the meeting that agriculture department has collected:-21,779 samples for chemical examination of soil fertility, 13 samples of fertilizers and 243 samples of pesticides in 2016 and 2017. He further maintained that 10 samples of pesticides were found sub standard while 13 cases were registered regarding substandard fertilizers and 3 FIRS have been registered so far in district Bahawalpur.

                                The meeting was given detailed briefing regarding pest warning, pest control, live stock and fisheries and various measures undertaken by the agriculture department to provide guidance and technical assistance for modernizing agriculture in district Bahawalpur.