Paddy to be sown over 4.49 million acres of land-Texglobe

SIALKOT (May 24 2010): Over 4.492 million acres of land will be used for sowing paddy crops during Kharif season in some areas of Punjab. Official sources told Business Recorder on Sunday that the provincial agriculture department had initiated a well-knitted training programme for the paddy growers about the preparation of nurseries and cultivation of paddy crop aimed at attaining the fixed target in Punjab.

In Gujranwala division, paddy crop would be cultivated on 18.25 lakh acres of land out of which paddy would be sown on more than 4.13 lakh acres in Sialkot district. Tehsil wise break up of sowing of Paddy crop in Sialkot district is as Sialkot tehsil 1.21 lakh acres, Daska tehsil 1.12 lakh acres, Pasrur tehsil 1.20 lakh and 59,000 acres of land in Sambrial tehsil.

The local agriculture department had already completed farmers training programme in 1442 villages of Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Sambrial tehsils of Sialkot district. More than 26155 paddy growers of Sialkot district participated in this training programme. The rice growers have been imparted necessary training for enhancing per acre yield, sowing of paddy nurseries, utilisation of irrigation, pesticides and fertiliser and about the different verities of paddy in the district.

The agriculture department had deputed special teams for providing proper guidance and assistance to the rice growers. The department has directed the paddy growers to refrain from transferring plants from nurseries to their respective fields before June 20 for attaining better yield of the crop.

Meanwhile, the agriculture department had directed the paddy growers to use only recommended and authenticated paddy seed for obtaining quality and maximum per acre yield, sources added.