ISLAMABAD, SEPT 27: As the wheat sowing season near, farmers are being made aware of the use of modern technology along with the introduction of high yielding varieties of wheat so that the production of wheat can be increased as per the requirements of the country, this was said by Mr. Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Special Assistant to PM on Food Security while he was addressing  press conference after the seminar held at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI) Faisalabad. He stated that as the sowing season of wheat is approaching, a series of meetings and seminars have been started to increase its production and the first seminar in this regard was organized by Ayub Agricultural Research Institute. Scientists and officials of the Department of Agriculture were urged to introduce high yielding varieties of wheat so that excellent yields of wheat could be achieved.
SAPM also added that we have achieved 27.8 million tons of wheat this year, which is enough for our needs at present, but we need to produce 30 million tons of wheat in the future. Population of Pakistan is increasing rapidly while the production of our commodities is also increasing steadily and the government is taking steps to increase wheat production to 30 million tons out of which 22.5 million tons would be produced in Punjab while the rest of the provinces would add 7.5 million tons. He also told that the government is reviewing the performance of all departments to maximize the production of agricultural commodities and  the government is also providing subsidy to the farmers on seeds, fertilizers and medicines to increase the agricultural production so that the financial difficulties of the farmers could be alleviated.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PARC Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan said that a campaign has been launched to increase wheat production. Presently, the progressive farmer is getting 50 mound per acre of wheat while the average farmer is getting an average of 31 mound per acre. To close this gap in production, the government has directed scientists and agriculture departments to provide high yielding varieties of seeds to the common farmer as well as inform them on ways to get higher yields. Moreover, Govt. will also provide facilities for purchasing fertilizers, sprays etc. It is not possible to live without wheat so a series of meetings and seminars have been started to increase its production for which Pakistan Agricultural Research Council is providing full support. The Chairman also shared the consolidated feedback/suggestions received from the stakeholders during the seminar.
