Steps being taken to boost cultivation of onion, tomato, says minister

LAHORE:Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Friday said that the Punjab government was taking practical steps to boost seasonal and off-season cultivation of onion and tomato in Punjab.

While presiding over a meeting at the Agriculture House, here, he said that to increase production of onion and tomato the government had started pilot project worth Rs6 billion.In this regard, 33 enterprise groups of 450 farmers would be formed on an area of 2,500 acres to ensure availability of affordable quality vegetables to the people throughout the year, he added. Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that modern agricultural machinery and solar system would be provided to farmers on subsidy for increasing seasonal and non-seasonal cultivation of onion and tomato. For success of the project, it was the need of the hour that there should be link of farmer groups with value added industry, local businessmen and investors with international market, he said and added that World Bank would provide financial support for onion and tomato seeds, nursery plants, machinery and agricultural equipment and cold storage.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that under this project, the seasonal and non-seasonal production of onions would increase by 28,500 tons, while the seasonal and non-seasonal production of tomatoes would increase by 39,000 tons.He said that under this project, farmers training programmes would be conducted to attract farmers towards onion and tomato cultivation while demonstration plots would also be set up.