Punjab Secretary Agriculture Muhammmad Mahmood visited Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) indigenous Hydroponic System at Rawat, here on Monday.
While visiting, he suggested to spread the 21st century agriculture to farmer level. He also appreciated consistent hard work of university to indigenous this very expensive technology to the adoptable level of our farming community. His emphasis was on water concern to save Pakistan agriculture was appreciated by the vice chancellor and promised to give full co-operation from university.
Earlier, PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad briefed the Secretary that Agriculture Hydroponics is latest technique to produce safe, nutritious, delicious and high quality vegetables. Hydroponics products have enormous nutritional value and taste fresh because they are grown in healthy environment, he added. He said that a conventional farmer gets 5-6 tonnes yield of vegetables from per acre of land while a progressive farmer can yield 12-15 tonnes through tunnel farming. He further stated that but we (Arid University) are yielding 300 tonnes per acre at this Rawat farms through hydroponic system.
Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Mahmood also had a meeting with DDO, and EDOs of Water Management of Rawalpindi region. He along with Vice Chancellor Arid Agriculture shared different options to improve water production as well as water storage by rain water harvesting in Potohar and pre-mountain areas.
Secretary agriculture shared with all water management team that CM Punjab Mina Shahbaz Sharif is very willing to complete the entire agriculture scheme well in time and package of Rs 100 billion would be spent during next two years for the development of agri sectors and prosperity of farmers and such programmes would be evolved to directly benefit the farmers.
He also directed a team headed by Vice Chancellor to arrange a farmer conference as concern about high efficiency irrigation system and prepare recommendations to address problems if any happening to promote the system on fast-track was also decided during discussion on-farm water management officers that the graduate students of agriculture should be trained for PCPS to involve passed out students in entrepreneurship of this big initiative of the government as well as to under the PM (internship scheme). He also constituted a committee of Vice Chancellor Arid Agriculture University, Director Water Management and Solar Company to prepare a full package for small farmers to address his livelihood by smart agriculture.
Vice Chancellor also appreciated his enforcement to his team to reaching at the level of small farmers and reporting mechanism using mobile services and introduces the E-agriculture mechanism.
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