RAHIM YAR KHAN: The new drip irrigation ring pit method of sugarcane plantation will enhance per acre yield, which will benefit 80 per cent small farmers of the country.

This was claimed by Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Imtiaz Ahmed while harvesting the first experimental sugarcane farm at Qadirabad, some 23km from here on Monday.

He said that most farmers of Rahim Yar Khan were using old methods of planting sugarcane due to which they were getting only 800 maund per acre yield after consuming a huge quantity of irrigation water. But the new method equipped with drip irrigation will not only increase the per acre yield to 3,000 maund, but also save irrigation water.

He said he would ask the government to provide agricultural tools for the ring pit method to farmers on 50pc subsidised rates. He lauded expert Irfanullah Khan for introducing the method in Pakistan in 2010.

Khan delivered a presentation by demonstrating different benefits of the ring pit method. He said that by following this method not only sugarcane production will increase, but agriculture land for cotton will also be available.

More than 100 farmers as well as general managers of three sugar mills were present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2017