SARGODH:The federal government has released Rs36.6 million funds under the Export Development Fund to build a ‘centre of excellence’ at an estimated cost of Rs200m to protectthe Kinnow crop against different diseases.

Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Sajid Hussain Tarar said this while speaking to the media person here on Sunday.

He said that on the SCCI recommendation, the federal government had signed an agreement with the University of Sargodha (UoS) for the establishment of 60 departments in its College of Agriculture.

Similarly, Rs200m will be spent on establishing a research centre aimed to get more yield by eliminating various diseases hitting the citrus fruit orchards, he said, adding that the federal government released the first installment of Rs36.6m under the agreement.

The SCCI head said the work on this project will start in the last week of this month.

Along with conducting research on the production of disease-free and seedless Kinnow fruit, it will help to further improve its quality.

The centre would issue certificates to the growers and exporters of citrus fruits after checking their quality, he added.

PFA: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has destroyed vegetables cultivated on 20 kanals in Bhakkar district in an operation against crops irrigated with sewage in Sargodha region.

As per PFA officials, the authority’s team plowed the vegetable crops, including cabbage, in an operation in Lal Darwish area of Bhakkar.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2023