MULTAN: Twelve more plant clinics will soon be operational in the district once the training of 30 agriculture officials is completed to enable them serve as plant doctors to extend advisory services to farmers and orchard owners.

Plant Protection Adaptive Research Deputy Director Dr. Kashif Nadeem Bhutta told Information Officer (Agriculture) Naveed Asmat Kahlon that the addition of another dozen such facilities would elevate the number of plant clinics to 25 in Multan district.

Master trainer Rana Abbas started imparting training to agriculture officers on Monday.

Plant clinics will operate on Thursdays from 8am to 2pm at public points. Growers have been advised to bring diseased parts of plants to the clinics where plant doctors would inform them about remedies.

Thirteen plant clinics are already working in the first phase in Multan and 12 more will soon start functioning in phase-II.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2014