One Day seminar on "Pre and Post harvest technology of selected fruits in Punjab"

Pakistan is focusing only two fruits including citrus and mangoes despite the fact that the country was blessed with fertile land, best cropping system and ecological zone. Keeping in view, the country can earn heavy foreign exchange by promoting the cultivation of other fruits including guava, dates, water melon, pomegranate and strawberry. This was stated by speakers while addressing a one-day seminar on Pre and Post harvest technology of selected fruits in Punjab arranged the Institute of Horticulture Sciences University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The session was chaired by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while Ayub Agricultural Research Institute Director General Dr Noor-ul-Islam, Punjab Extension Director General Dr Anjum Bhuttar and PARB Chief Executive Dr Mubaarik Ali were guests of honor at the occasion. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan suggested kicking off a massive campaign to promote the cultivation of other fruits in the country by giving awareness to the farming community regarding latest practices in order to boost up economy. He said that Punjab Extension Department would start the campaign in collaboration with the UAF. He said that many fruits across the country were under the grip of Fruit Fly that must be curtailed by initiating researches and giving the awareness to the people. He also stressed the need to introduce new varieties of fruits keeping in view our climate and cropping system that would a step to increase the productivity. He said that non-availability of cold storages and other post harvest technologies to the common farmers was a grave concern, responsible for the loss of millions of rupees to the country. He said new fruit and vegetables markets should be set up in every corner of the country in order to give relief to the farmers and common man. He suggested the Punjab Horticulture Department to grow the fruits plants besides the roads and other places to earn money. Dr Noorul Islam said that Pakistan was much lagging behind in the post harvest practices, which was main hurdle to the development as the country loses 40 percent of its productivity in the said process. He stressed the need to expand the certificate nurseries in the country. He also suggested setting up trading platform in every corner of the country. Our markets were having the few processing units. Practical steps should be taken in this regard, he added. He told the audience about the steps being taken on the part of his organization in growing the fruits and other crops in saline land. Dr Anjum said that the Extension Department was activity involved in transferring the knowledge into goods and services and look forward to suggestions from the agricultural experts to enhance its role. He showed his intend to leave stone unturned to perform the above suggestions by the steps of extension. Dr Mubarik said that his department is fully supporting research activities in the country and would take every steps to promote the culture of research by funding the research projects for the said noble causes.