Agri scientists striving hard to promote cultivation of pulses: Ishtiaq Hasan

QAZI SHOAIB KHAN ATTOCK (MAY-16) – Additional Director General Agriculture (Farm & Training) Punjab Ishtiaq Hasan said that the agri scientists were striving hard to promote cultivation of pulses especially in Bhakkar, Mankera, Chakwal, Attock, Mastong, Barkhan, Turbat, Lasbela, Loralai, Jaffar Abad (Baluchistan), Sukkur, Larkana (Sindh), Kurkh, Lucky Marwat (Khyber Pakhtunkhawa) and Gilgit/Baltistan as climate changes had badly hit the Thal, area and reduced the production of grams in Pakistan. Addressing a meeting , he said that grams and lentil were important pulses crops which were helping in cater to domestic food requirements at a large extent. These commodities were very rich in protein and considered alternate of meat. The government was spending huge amount to import pulses for meeting food requirements of increasing population. If these commodities were promoted in Pakistan, these could help in reducing huge import bill, he added. He said that grams and lentil were cultivated in the country but the climate changes badly hit the Thal area and reduced grams production at a large extent. He urged the agriculture scientists to introduce climate resilient gram and lentil varieties so that production of these commodities could be increased in the country.Addressing the meeting, Chief Scientist Agriculture Research Institute Arid Zone Bhakkar Dr Khalid Hasan said that the farmers should cultivate hybrid approved varieties of grams and lentil in arid areas. He said that the agri scientists introduced new grams varieties including Thal Chana Super, Anwaar-2023, Afzaal-2023, Bital-2021, Bahawalpur Chana-2021, NIAB CH-104 and Rohi Chana-2021 which had sufficient resistance against harsh weather conditions as well as against pest attacks.He also emphasized on the use of latest technology which was imperative to increase per acre production and said that this technique could not only help farmers to get bumper yield but also help in mitigating their financial constraints. Later, the meeting after thorough discussion and some amendments in the use of latest production technology also approved Gram and Lentil Production Project 2023-24.Senior Scientist Pulses Department Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI) Faisalabad Irfan Rasool, Scientific Officer Saadia Kokab, Assistant Professor Agronomy University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Dr Muhammad Sarwar, Senior Scientist Agronomy Department AARI Dr. Muhammad Kashif, Senior Scientist Plant Pathology Department AARI Javaid Anwar Shah, Deputy Director Statistics Department Faisalabad Ejaz Ahmad, Senior Scientist Soil Fertility Department Nadeem Raza, Assistant Director Agriculture Information Department Faisalabad Muhammad Ishaq Lashari and others were also present in the meeting. QAZI SHOAIB KHAN, BUREAU CHIEF ATTOCK