SAHIWAL, Sept 16: The government was spending Rs58 billion on import of edible oil every year and this foreign exchange could be curtailed by boosting indigenous oil seeds production in the country, Oil Seed Development Board provincial director Nasir Ali Shah told a seminar here on Sunday.

He urged growers to sow canola, whose season was starting from Sept 15 and would continue till Nov 15, and said they could get 40 maunds per acre yield within a short span of time.

Mr Shah said canola’s per maund rate in the market was Rs1,300 and thus the growers could earn a handsome return.

Board’s Regional Director Amir Hamza said canola was useful was heart patients besides having full nutritional value.

TICKETS: The Majlis-i-Shura of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Sahiwal chapter has nominated Hafiz Tariq Masood and Mufti Muhammad Usman as party candidates to contest the National Assembly constituencies NA-160 and NA-162 respectively. Announcing this here on Sunday, JUI-F district information secretary Rana Muhammad Shahzad said the district Shura had also recommended to the central Shura to issue party tickets to the nominees.