Rs1bn project for cultivating oilseed crops

LAHORE:Under the vision of the Punjab chief minister, a project worth Rs1billion has been launched to promote the cultivation and production of sesame, soybean, and canola with the primary objective of this initiative is to reduce the national import bill of oilseeds.

This was stated by Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani while presiding over a one-day workshop on sesame cultivation and value addition held at Agriculture House here on Tuesday. A large number of stakeholders participated in the workshop, including experts from the Punjab Agriculture Department, scientists from agricultural universities, exporters, agribusiness representatives, processors, and progressive farmers.

The minister said that the fundamental goal of this initiative is to increase sesame exports while reducing reliance on imported soybean and canola. Under the project, 592 model farms for sesame will be established across 17 districts—Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, Bhakkar, Lodhran, Khanewal, Vehari, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Kot Addu, and Kasur.

He further explained that approximately 1,000 farmers benefiting from this programme will receive financial assistance of Rs30,000 each, enabling them to establish model farms and implement modern sesame production technologies—thus becoming role models for other farmers. Due to climate change, sesame is now categorised among major crops, and last year saw a notable increase in the area under sesame cultivation in Punjab.

The minister urged agricultural scientists to align their research with international standards, as the chief minister is generously allocating resources to agricultural research. He emphasised that scientists must develop climate-resilient varieties that not only lower production costs but also yield higher productivity. The minister also announced that under this project, modern oilseed machinery will be provided to farmers on a subsidised basis.