PID is executing seed distribution to eligible small farmers

Lahore: The Punjab Irrigation Department is executing seed distribution to eligible small farmers, having land upto five acres, in Thal Canal command area of district Layyah and Muzaffargarh free of cost.

According to the plan, as many as 37,740 small farmers of 703 villages in these two districts will be provided around one lac wheat seed bags (50 kg each bag) and 5,000 canola oilseed packets (1 kg each packet) for Rabi crop 2013-14. The activity is a component of Social Development Action Plan of Jinnah Barrage Rehabilitation & Modernization (Phase-II) Project.

For the execution of seed procurement and distribution plan, the services of Punjab Rural Support Programme have been sought by the Irrigation Department. In order to ensure timely distribution of wheat seed to the eligible farmers for early sowing of wheat crop, a number of distribution centers have been established at union council level.

The farmers of 703 villages of two districts (533 villages of Layyah and 170 villages of Kot Addu Tehsil of district Muzaffargarh) will be benefitting from this scheme. As of October 24 report, 16,374 eligible farmers have been provided with 43,161 wheat seed bags and 2,051 canola oilseed packets. The seed distribution activity which commenced from October 07, 2013 is scheduled to be completed by November 07, 2013.

It is pertinent to mention that seed distribution activity was planned to be carried out in two phases. During the first phase as many as 27,951 small farmers of district Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar were provided with 75,491 certified wheat seed bags free of cost in year 2012.