UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad visits fields of bed plantation in Shahkot

Farmer community can increase their agricultural production by 20 percent and save 50 percent water consumption through adoption of bed plantation and soil analysis. This was stated by speakers while addressing a seminar on Demonstration and Dissemination of Irrigation Technology and Management Practices organized by Water Management Research Centre, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority and USAID. The session was presided over by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while District Coordination Officer, District Nankana, Hassan Iqbal and MPA Muhammad Arshad were guests of honour on the occasion. The university has grown wheat on 17 acres in Shakot on bed plantation in a bid to demonstrate the technology to the farming community for increasing boosting up per care production and saving water. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that it was matter of grave concern that farming community was practicing old agricultural methods, responsible for low yield in the country. He said that there were the few farmers who were using bed plantation and drip irrigation that were vital to feed ever growing population. He said that in Indian Punjab, the practices of the bed plantation were on the rise and a large number of farmers have adopted it which was increasing the productivity manifold. He said that the water scarcity has starting playing havoc with the people and it was the need of hour to aware the people about the water conservation methods as the water was basic component of life. He said that the district was barren one and half century ago. Thanks to canal system, that brought life in the areas and now it was intense populated. He said that in Australia, people are saving the rain water as water tank is installed at every home. Such type of practices can be applied here. He urged the industrials to make the bed levelers available to the farming community as most of them are small farmers and cannot afford the technology. The DCO said that the farming community should adopt rational use of fertilizer with the soil analysis as it was must to increase the productivity. He urged UAF scientists to produce low cost technology as the country was facing the increasing prices of agricultural input. With the introduction of low-cost technology, we can not only increase productivity but also narrow down the financial burden on farming community. He lauded the steps being taken on the part of the University for boosting up the sector. MPA Muhammad Arshad stressed the need to set up sub campus of the UAF in District Nankana in order to providing state-of-the-art agricultural knowledge to local at their step. Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Dean Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad also called for conserving water with the use of drip irrigation and bed plantation. He said that Pakistan was being counted in the list of water scarce countries and we to take extra measures to address the issue by giving awareness to the masses. He also said that it was generally observed that famers were not using the balanced fertilizer. This trend must be curtailed by taking the soil analysis. It will not only increase production but also save money, headed Akram Bajwa from FFC said that they were conducting the free of cost soil and water analysis. He urged the farming community to get benefit from it. Ijaz Anwar from Ali Akbar Group also informed the steps being taken on the part of his organization for their agricultural sector.