Punjab’s Rs7 billion Agriculture Transformation Plan for the Potohar region is expected to transform the area’s agricultural landscape through investment in water conservation, modern irrigation and high-value crops, a senior provincial agriculture official said on Monday.
The remarks were made by Muhammad Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary of the Punjab Agriculture Department’s Task Force, while chairing a performance review meeting of various wings of the Agriculture Department for Rawalpindi Division.
Investment Details and Objectives
He said the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan envisages an investment of Rs7 billion over the next three years to strengthen agricultural productivity across the Potohar region. Under the programme, funds will be utilised to develop water resources, expand modern irrigation infrastructure and promote the cultivation of high-value crops suited to the region’s agro-climatic conditions.
Shabbir Ahmed Khan directed departmental officers to ensure the effective implementation of the initiative so that farmers receive its full benefits. “For the success of the transformation plan, all relevant departments must work diligently to ensure that its benefits reach farmers at their doorsteps,” he said.
Awareness Campaigns and Farmer Incentives
Briefing the meeting, Director Agriculture (Extension) Rawalpindi Division Syed Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari said awareness campaigns were being carried out successfully across the region to educate farmers about the transformation plan and modern farming techniques. He said farmers securing the top three positions in wheat production competitions in each district had been awarded prizes worth millions of rupees to encourage higher productivity.
Bukhari further informed the meeting that the crop recovery rate among farmers had reached 99.3 per cent, while awareness regarding modern agricultural practices and government support programmes continued to improve.
Infrastructure Development: Mini Dams and Fencing
Additional Director General (Soil Conservation) Dr Pervez Sikandar said that, under the transformation plan, 400 mini dams would be constructed across the Potohar region over the next three years with a 70 per cent government subsidy. He added that subsidised fencing was also being installed in Murree to protect orchards and agricultural land from damage caused by wild animals.
Irrigation Projects and Solar Systems
Farhana Jamil, Divisional Director of the Irrigation Reform Department, briefed participants on the progress of irrigation projects being implemented under the Agriculture Transformation Plan. She said that modern solar-powered irrigation systems had been installed on 100 acres during the current year under the subsidy programme. In addition, 100 solar-powered lift irrigation schemes had been completed, while work on 50 concrete-lined watercourses had also been finalised to improve water management and reduce losses.
Precision Agriculture: Laser Land Levellers
The meeting was further informed that, during the current financial year, 100 laser land levellers had been distributed among farmers across Rawalpindi Division through a transparent balloting process as part of the government’s efforts to promote precision agriculture and improve land productivity.
