Glimpses of Punjab Agriculture Minister Mr Malik Ahmad Ali Aulak visits to Spring Festival 2012 arranged by UAF

Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh on Wednesday said the Punjab government was committed to utilize maximum resources for the uplift of agricultural sector in the province so that green revolution could be occurred in order to feed ever-growing pollution of the country. He was addressing farming community gathered at Agri Exhibition organized by University of Agriculture Faisalabad in connection with its six-day Spring Festival 2012. Prof Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar, Dean Faculty of Animal Husbandry were also present on the occasion. He said that UAF festival plays a vital role in giving awareness to farming community about modern agricultural practices that is prerequisite to increase per acre yield. He said it was an appropriate platform where farming community can interact with agricultural scientists and get solutions to their agricultural problems and issues. Taking about water issues, he said that the provincial government was launching Rs36 billion mega water project to introduce water conservation techniques in order to ensure efficient use of water. He maintained that Punjab government was promoting high efficiency irrigation system in the province to fight water scarcity. He also stressed the need to set up Kala Bagh Dam as, he said, that India had established 60 dams but we have only two big dams and reluctant to construct more water reservoirs . He said that we were wasting huge amount of water in the shape of floods that not only play havoc with the lives of the people but also become the source of crops and livestock losses worth billions of rupees. He said that it was matter of concerns that the country was throwing 35MAF of water to the sea. By setting up dams, we can save the water and use it at the time of water shortage and can reduce the effects floods. He said the Punjab government is trying its best to provide relief to the masses despite budget constraints that’s why many projects had been initiated including 20,000 tractors on the subsidy. He said that it was technology of transfer as progressive farmers under Punjab Government Campaign was getting 80 maunds of wheat whereas traditional farmers were getting 25 maunds. He said that country experienced best cotton production with 11.7 million bales that was best one in the history of the country. He also vowed the Punjab government’s commitment to make every possible step for the uplift of the sector. He also inaugurated fancy birds show and visited tent pegging , livestock beauty competition as well as flower show.