The country can increase vegetables and fruit production by 20 times with the adoption of modern agricultural technique hydroponic.

It was stated by agricultural experts at the inauguration of hydroponic greenhouse arranged by the Water Management Research Centre, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf inaugurated the hydroponic. He was flanked by DG Water Management Punjab Dr Muhammad Akram, Water Management Research Center UAF Director Dr Muhammad Irsahd, Dr Ahmad Waqas and other notables also attended. Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that it had become need of the hour to shun traditional farming and to promote high-efficient irrigation agriculture for a better tomorrow. He said that hydroponic would help the country increase the vegetable and fruit production manifold with low water usage. He said that in China, every farmer had adopted the hydroponic which is disease and pest free agriculture. He said that the production under hydroponic is totally safe for health and meet the international standards so that we can earn even heavy foreign exchange by exporting it after meeting our demand. He said that by traditional way of farming, the agricultural produces is unsafe for health due to excessive pesticides and other factors. He said that hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. He said that flood watering had become outdated and we have to take the measures to replace it with other ones. He said that at the time of inception of the country, per capita water availability was 5000 cubic meter which has not declined to 900 cubic meter. Dr Muhammad Irshad said that with the passage of time, per capita water availability was decreasing. He added that we have to adopt modern agricultural trend keeping health, decreasing agriculture land and food security like issues in view. He said that cultivation of hydroponic plants had become inevitable in the wake of increased nutrient deficiency, prevailing water shortage, water logging, salinity and erosion. Dr Muhammad Akram said that they modern agricultural practices will pave the way for the development of the country. He said that there are 26000 villages are in the province in which 12000 laser levellors had been provided and 10,000 more laser levelers were on the cards. Dr Ahmad Waqas said that university had developed indigenous hydroponic system which will cost the farmers Rs 150 per square feet. He said that hydroponics is an important growing technique in green houses in many developed countries.