SIALKOT: The Punjab government has stated acting on the plan to promote sunflower and other oil seed crops in the province.
The step has been taken to produce maximum edible oil aimed at reduce import and produce maximum edible oil in the province. The sowing of sunflower crop will be completed by the end of next month in various parts of the Punjab while the sowing of sunflower crop will be accomplished in Multan, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar by the end of the current month.
Agriculture department sources told APP on Sunday that under the programme over 87,000 acres of land would be brought under Sunflower crop in various areas of Punjab. At present, only 34 percent edible oil is being produced within the country and 66 percent was being imported for catering to the domestic needs for which government was spending huge foreign exchange on the import of edible oil every year.
The department urged the growers that they should bring their maximum land under sunflower crop for attaining self-sufficiency in edible oil. In Sialkot district, sunflower will be cultivated over 1000 acres of land, sources added. The sunflower crop will be cultivated in Daska at 534 acres, Pasrur 650 acres, Sambrial 400 acres and Sialkot 255 acres tehsils of Sialkot district.
The Agriculture department has directed the sunflower growers that they should use only recommended seeds for obtaining maximum yield of the crop and follow the guidelines of agriculture department. Under the programme the department is motivating grower community that they should bring their maximum land under sunflower crop to cope with domestic requirements, they added.
