Plan underway to promote cooperative farming in three Punjab districts

SIALKOT: The agriculture department is launching a Rs 400 million ‘Crop maximisation through cooperative farming project’ of two-year duration in three districts of Punjab.According to the departmental sources, the plan would be carried out in Sialkot, Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan districts.

The programme is aimed at increasing productivity and profitability of small farmers in the districts through participatory approach of learning by doing, food security and alleviating poverty through improving income of small farmers.

Special attention under the programme would be focused on increasing productivity of major crops like wheat, rice, cotton sugarcane and maize from 10 to 15 percent per acre and reduce their cost of production as well as to ensure the availability of food round year on affordable price.

Eighty percent farmers were small holding land from 0.5 to 10 acres in the province and over the years, attempts had been made to improve the conditions of small farmers but capital intensive modern technologies and improved means of enhancing farm productivity remained out financial range of small farmers, sharecropper and tenants.

Unfortunately, majority of farmers had limited access to the institutional credit facility and they could not use or adopt the improved technologies or purchase critical inputs as certified seeds, fertiliser, pesticides and water.

Special focus under the programme would be accorded on formulation and registration of 137 village organisations (VOs), establishment and operation of revolving fund to the tune of Rs 297.080 million in the VOs, setting up of operation of 14 implement pools, establishment of 137 farmers field schools for farmers capacity building, setting up of 14 income diversification intervention and establishment of 14 input sale centers in project districts, the sources disclosed.