Farmers to get free date plants

LAHORE: Under special directives of chief minister, Punjab Agriculture Department has started a project for five years with worth of Rs780 million to distribute free-of-cost high value varieties of date plants and seedless Kinnow plants on subsidised rates in Punjab.

According to implementation status of this programme, Agriculture Department will provide free of cost high value varieties of date plants (Ajwa, Barhee, Amber, Khulas and Midjaul) to the farmers belonging to 9 districts of south Punjab, Bahawalpur, Multan, Jhang, Rahimyar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, and Rajanpur whereas seedless Kinnow plants will be provided in six districts on subsidised rates, farmers belonging to district Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh, Mandi Bahauddin, Sahiwal, Vehari and Layyah can apply for this subsidy scheme.

Interested farmers can get application forms free of cost from office of Deputy Director Agriculture (Ext) of their districts or can download it from official website of Agriculture Department (www.agripunjab.gov.pk).

The spokesman further disclosed that interested people for this subsidy scheme has to abide by all the conditions written on application form in this regard. For getting date plants, farmers will have to submit their application forms either by hand or through courier to the office of director, Horticultural Research Station, Bahawalpur and for seedless Kinnow plants farmers must submit their application form to office of Director, Citrus Research Institute, Sargodha till February 20. Interested people in date plants may contact on 062-9255432 whereas for seedless Kinnow can contact on 048-3701312.