MUZAFFARABAD: The cultivation and preparation of modern varieties of maize seeds under a Crop Maximisation Programme has been initiated in different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), an official said on Thursday.

Waqas Abdullah, an assistant director of the AJK Agriculture Department, told Dawn that under the three-year programme, the latest variety of maize seeds would be procured from various research centres in Pakistan and sown into 480 acres of land in different areas of AJK, in three phases. The seeds will also be produced locally.

The first phase would cover 160 acres of land, of which 25 acres are in Muzaffarabad district, said Mr Abdullah who is in-charge of this programme in the district.

He said that the seeds were planted over 40 kanals of land in Parsacha village by the staff of Agriculture Extension Centre Kahori, located 10 kilometres North of Muzaffarabad.

The staff also trained the farmers regarding the crop in order to help them yield maximum produce, he said.

Mr Abdullah asserted that his department was leaving no stone unturned in gaining maximum benefits from this programme.

“Growing modern varieties of seeds and producing the same on their own under this programme will go a long way in development of the agricultural sector in the territory,” he said.

He expressed hope that landholders would enthusiastically avail this opportunity as it would eventually help them not only meet their needs at the local level but would also help the state improve its economic health.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2021