MULTAN: The Punjab Agriculture Department is offering 30 to 50 percent subsidy on installation of traps to control fruit flies in mango and citrus orchards, across the province.
This was stated by Assistant Director Horticulture, Fruit and Vegetables Muhammad Akram. He said growers, having more than 12 and half acres orchards were provided 30 percent subsidy while small growers were availing 50 percent subsidy on special traps of methyl eugenol, protein hydrolycet, malathion and plastic traps.
Traps were unconventional way to control fruit flies. Earlier, growers used pesticides but traps were entirely different and beneficial to control flies, he added.
He said Punjab government was paying immense focus on orchards management, adding fruit flies pose serious threat to fruits quality, production and exports. The total per acre cost for installing traps is Rs 3,188, he added.
To a query about effectiveness of traps on production, he said traps helped to enhance quality of fruits production from 10 to 100 percent. He further said growers could contact agriculture department for availing the facility.
He said that proposals had been sent to government for installation of the traps in all orchards of the province. Once, the fruit flies were controlled completely, then there would be low chance of its emergence in future, he added.
