HYDERABAD, Jan 24: The Sindh agriculture department has constituted 11 development groups for different crops to formulate recommendations to increase productivity of these crops.

The adviser to the Sindh chief minister on food and agriculture, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, will be the chairman and agriculture secretary Nazar Hussain Mahar will be the vice-chairman of the crop groups. The crops include cotton, rice, sugarcane, wheat, sunflower, onion, chillies, banana, guava, dates and mango.

A spokesman for Sindh directorate of agriculture information said here on Tuesday that the groups would also finalize crop production plans, review research and extension plans and activities and availability of inputs, including water, and take other initiatives to promote the crops and solve problems.

Besides senior officers concerned of the Sindh agriculture department, irrigation department, EPB, PARC and PHDB, the groups will have representation from the SCA and SAB.