Article

PARC towards agri-revolution

Seawater to irrigate crops: Dr Zafar Altaf

Paddy crop comes out of stagnant water ; One year old pear plant bears fruit

Ashraf Ansari: Interview

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has launched country-wide programme to clean waste water through plants which remove impurities. Chairman PARC, Dr. Zafar Altaf gave details of the programme in an exclusive interview with Pakistan Observer.

He said 900,000 gallon of waste water has been cleaned in Chak Shehzad, a federal capital suburb through the modern technique. PARC has also cleaned waste water in Banigala and Noorpur Shahan, other suburbs of the capital. It has offered to CDA to launch the programme in the main city to treat waste water through plants and clean polluted streams flowing through the city.

Altaf said, a huge quantity of waste water in urban centers of the country need treatment and PARC is ready to take up the challenge. As a beginning, waste water of tanneries in Kasur city near Lahore is being cleaned through plants. The PARC has vowed to bring other cities under the programme.

He expressed the confidence that PARC would greatly help in cleaning waste water in the main cities of the country. The treated water would help in meeting water - shortage to considerable extent.

Chairman PARC stressed the need for economising water use in agriculture. He said the PARC has succeeded in growing paddy crop in fields, free from stagnant water. Last year such paddy crop was planted on 5,000 hectares. This year paddy will be planted on 60,000 hectares without flooding roots of the paddy plants. The new method of growing paddy crop would save 38 percent irrigation water. Paddy production increased from 26 mond to 73 per acre on farms that were cropped under the new system based on economsing water use.

PARC has also achieved success in using sea water for irrigation purpose. It has acquired mobile plants to pump sea water in coastal areas to irrigate almost all sorts of crops grown in Pakistan. Sugarcane and several kinds of vegetables will be grown in the coastal areas, where sea water would irrigate the fields. 84 plants have been identified to be fed by sea- water irrigation.

Dr Zafar Altaf underlined the need to popularise use of organic fertilizers, pointing out that it would not only boost production but also guard us against water and air pollution. PARC has taken initiative to produce organic fertilizers and is taking steps to help farmers in setting up small factories to produce such fertilizers at community level.

He said, there was also a pressing need to develop new varieties of crops and fruits. “PARC researchers are now fully engaged to fulfil the need.”

The new varieties would greatly enhance efficiency of the plants. A new variety of pear bears fruit at the age of one year while another variety of fruit would bear fruit after mere three months of planting. Special efforts are afoot to graft wild olives and grow high- yield varieties of olive. Pakistan has vast potential of growing olives with a considerable export margin.

Dr Zafar Altaf said, there are efforts to produce honey of various varieties to meet domestic demand. Pakistan currently produces high quality honey. Farmers are being motivated to take up bee-farming which is quite profitable.

The Chairman PARC said a television network has dedicated 5 hours to start a green channel. The green channel would keep farmers informed on new developments in the agricultural fields and educate them to adopt new strategies and grow new varieties of crops and fruits. The farmers would be provided with expert advice regarding various issues relating to farming. An FM Radio is also being set up by the PARC to air agri programmes.

The PARC has also launched an ambitious programme to produce bio-pesticides and insecticides to ensure healthy crops and fruits. A factory has been set up near Islamabad to produce bio-pesticides. PARC is encouraging investors to set up such factories throughout the country.

**********