SIALKOT, Dec 20: More than 93 per cent wheat sowing target has been achieved in Sialkot, Daska and Pasrur tehsils.

Official sources here said on Thursday wheat would be sown on 478,000 acres in the district.

The Punjab agriculture department has launched a training programme for farmers in 1,451 villages of the district. Under the programme, the cultivators would be informed about the varieties, treatment and rates of seeds, time of sowing and balanced use of fertilizers and pesticides.

The programme will enable the farmers to increase the per acre yield of wheat, rice, sunflower, potato and other crops.

Meanwhile, the growers have appealed to the high-ups of the Punjab agriculture department that a detailed survey should be carried out for the promotion and expansion of ginger and turmeric crops in the district.

Sources said the federal government has also prepared a plan for enhancing the edible oil production in the country.

Under the plan, oil seed crops would be sown on 100,000 acres during the current year. The area was 83,000 acres last year.

As many as 1.9 million tons oil seed is required to cope with the domestic demands out of which 0.3 million tons is being produced by the local farmers and growers while remaining is being imported to fulfil the demands of the country.

The sources revealed that Rs33 billion are being spent on edible oil import every year.

Under the plan, farmers would be motivated to grow short maturity oil seeds. In addition, technical assistance would be provided to the growers.

New varieties of hybrid seed would be made available to the growers, the sources said.

CHEQUES GIVEN: The Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) will advance Rs320 million loans under the one-window operation to the wheat growers of Sialkot.