RAWALPINDI: Initiative should be taken to cultivate oilseed crops, especially peanuts and olives, and products made from them should also be promoted in the Potohar region.
These remarks were made by Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha while presiding over the meetings of the Divisional Agricultural Consultative Committee and the Divisional Agricultural Task Force.
He further stated that Deputy Commissioners and Deputy Directors of Agriculture (Extension) in all districts of the Division should crack down on fake and substandard fertilizer businesses. Complete restrictions should be imposed on dealers engaged in the business of fake agricultural fertilizers.
On this occasion, the Director of Agriculture (Extension) Rawalpindi Division, Syed Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari, mentioned that this year, the target for wheat cultivation in Rawalpindi Division was 1,560,000 acres, and the actual cultivation reached 1,616,276 acres.
He further mentioned that from July 1st to date, 231 samples of fertilizers have been obtained, and 5 samples have been proven to be fake. Based on this, FIRs have been registered against those engaged in the business of fake fertilizers.
Sajjad Hussain, Director of Irrigation Rawalpindi Division, briefed on irrigation improvement projects. Chaudhry Muhammad Jafar, Divisional Director Crop Reporting Services, Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Rawalpindi Sadiya Banu, and Deputy Director Attock Shakil Ahmed, along with representatives of progressive farmers, fertilizer dealers, and fertilizer companies from across the Division, attended the meeting.
