SAU to conduct study on vegetables, fruits

HYDERABAD: Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam has launched a research project with an estimated cost of Rs170 million to pave the way for improving the productivity and market access of small and medium producers of onions, dates, chillies and rice products in the province.
The university has launched a team for the purpose, which will conduct research with the support of the World Bank.
The Competitive Agriculture Research Development Fund will be managed with the collaborative support of the scientists of the University and Steering Committee of the Sindh Agriculture Growth Project (SAGP) led by the SAU vice chancellor to boost up research.
It was discussed at a high-level meeting of the Competitive Agriculture Research Technical Committee at SAU, presided over by Vice Chancellor Dr Mujeebuddin Sahrai, who is also the chairman of the committee.
Nazar Hussain Mahar, senior adviser of the World Bank, former agriculture secretary Dr Atta Hussain Soomro, director general, Agriculture Research Sindh, Dr Noor-ul-Haq, consultant, Sindh Agriculture Growth Project, Hidayatullah Chhajro, director general of Agriculture Extension, Ali Akbar Soomro, director general of Livestock, Syed Mehmood Nawaz Shah and Nabi Bux Sathio, progressive farmers, Ghulam Qasim Jiskani and Mian Saleem of date, palm and chillies associations, Prof Ismail Kumbhar, agriculture experts and consultants attended the meeting.
During the meeting, experts and committee members briefly discussed the development of agriculture, vegetables, fruits and crops in different areas of Sindh. The VC said the SAU experts will develop Sindh agriculture development strategy report and a seminar will be organised on each commodity crop, which includes onions, dates, chillies and rice production technology. Manuals will be developed on each commodity crop, he added.