https://dailyindependent.com.pk/caretaker-cm-vows-to-improve-health-infrastructure-during-his-address-to-senior-doctors-at-sims/

Pakistan is importing edible oil worth about 4 billion dollars annually, which is a burden on the country’s economy. It is necessary to increase the area under cultivation of oil products to reduce the country’s import bill. Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo expressed these views while presiding over a consultative meeting organized for the promotion of oilseeds cultivation at Agriculture House, Lahore today. He further said that the demand for oilseeds is increasing all over the world. In Punjab, by increasing the area under cultivation of oil products, we can not only fulfill our own needs of edible oil, but it can also possible to earn a lot of foreign exchange by exporting it.

In the meeting, Director General Agriculture (Extension), Punjab Dr. Anjum Ali, Director General Crop Reporting, Punjab Dr. Abdul Qayyum and other officers, progressive farmers and stakeholders associated with the oilseeds industry participated.

During the meeting, while giving a briefing to the Secretary Agriculture, Punjab it was said that Pakistan imports about 88 percent of its edible oil requirements. For the promotion of oilseeds cultivation, a National project worth Rs5.11 billion is being implemented under which farmers are being provided subsidy of Rs5,000 per acre on sunflower and canola cultivation and Rs2,000 per acre on sesame cultivation. Under this project, 50 percent of the machinery of oilseeds is also being provided to the farmers and production competitions are also being organized for healthy competition among the farmers. As a result of all these incentives, the cultivated area of sunflower and canola has increased by 35 percent, while the cultivated area of sesame has increased by 40 percent.

 On this occasion, Secretary Agriculture, Punjab Iftikhar. Ali Sahoo said that further increase in oilseeds area is the need of the hour so that we can produce our own edible oil for our food needs. There should be no reduction in the area under cultivation of crops. On this occasion, the Secretary Agriculture, Punjab directed the Director General Agriculture Extension to prepare a comprehensive plan to increase the cultivation of oilseeds. In the meeting, progressive farmers and people associated with the industry informed the Secretary Agriculture about their problems which he assured to resolve it under rules.