Wheat Campaign at Govt. High School N0.1 Shahkot

FAISALABAD Nov 3 : University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan has said that the country imported the wheat 3 million tons last year whereas per acre productivity increment by 3 maunds would ensure self-sufficient status. He was talking to farmers at a gahtering at Govt High School No 1 Shahkot. The nine-day drive is in full swing in collaboration with Agriculture Extension Department in order to inform the farming community about latest trends and to increase the per acre productivity. The students under the supervision of experts will team up in the assigned areas. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the 30,000 UAF students and teachers are in the fields to inform the farming community about latest methods relating to sowing, water, cultivation, eradication of weeds and harvesting etc. He said last year, the government launched a wheat campaign in collaboration with agricultural universities to attract farmers towards the latest methods in wheat cultivation. He said that if we use the flour comprising 85 percent of wheat and 15 percent of maize, it would help the issue of malnutrition. He said that the floods have devastated the life and agriculture in Sind and Baluchistan,. Now, the Punjab have to meet the requirement of wheat by increasing the productivity. He said that the Prime Minister Agriculture Relief Package was a hallmark step that would bring the tangible results. He said that to deal with the effects of climate change, work is going on in UAF on high-quality varieties of wheat, which will increase the production per acre. Dean Faculty of Agriculture Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar said that this year, the wheat campaign is expanded and 50,000 students from three agricultural universities including UAF of the province are visiting the villages across the provinces. He said that 30,000 students from UAF, 12,000 from PMAS Arid Agriculture University and 8,000 from Agriculture University Multan will visit the fields of the farmers. Director Agricultural Extension Lahore Sher Muhammad Sherawat said that the extension department is determined to deliver agricultural recommendations to 22,000 villages. He said that research work should be reached at farmers’ fields. He said that in November, the wheat sowing should be completed. Principal Officer PRP Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that like the previous year, the university was committed to reach out the farming community for the purpose. He said that the university is providing free of cost quality seeds to the farmers of flood-hit areas as a step towards rehabilitation and food security. Dean Veterinary Sciences Dr Tariq Javed said that in that campaign would help the students get first- hand knowledge of on-fields and farming community problems also. He urged the farming community to give the feedback to the university so that they would come up with tangible solutions of their problems. He said that the university was taking all possible measures for agricultural uplift. Dr Ghaulam Mutraza called for balanced use of fertilizers in field. Dr Izhar Ahmad Khan, Dr Ejaz Bhatti, Dr Haroon Zaman, Dr Muhamamd Tayyib, Deputy Director Agri Extension Punjab Nankana Sahib Ch Ashraf, Assistant Director Jahangir, Agriculture Officer Maryam and others also spoke. He also visited his alma mater including Govt High School No 1 Shahkot, Govt Primary School Shahkot and addressed the students.