ISLAMABAD: The government has set a target of producing 234 million tons of oil seed including rapeseed, mustard and canola in order to fulfil the domestic requirements of edible oil.
In this regard the government under its 11th five year plan has devised an agriculture intensification and diversification plan for the development of a modern seed industry. Work was in progress for local production of hybrid and genetically modified plant varieties to achieve per acre high yields, said an official in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
Talking to APP here on Friday, he said that keeping in view the nature of agricultural and food activities, about Rs. 245.9 billion would be invested by the provincial governments, while that of Rs. 48.8 billion was planned by the federal government under its federal Public Sector Development Programme, 2017-18.
He further said that under the plan, sunflower production was set at 815 million matric tons, where as about 4,532 thousand tons of potatoes and 2,096 thousand tons of onions would be produced for fulfilling the domestic requirements as well as to exports. The vegetables and fruits production targets were fixed at 2,655 thousand tons and 9,073 thousand tons respectively, he added.
