ISLAMABAD: The Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Chakwal will distribute 30,000 high-value fruit plants across the Potohar region under a provincial initiative aimed at transforming the areas rain-fed farming system.

Director BARI Dr Nadeem Ahmed said the plants will be provided over three years as part of the Agriculture Transformation in Potohar Project recently approved by the Punjab government. He said the effort is designed to help small farmers shift towards high-value crops that can generate greater income from limited landholdings.

The government has approved the Agriculture Transformation in Potohar Project, and BARI has been assigned early-generation groundnut seed production, he said, adding that the institute will also lead the fruit development component.

He said the institute plans to distribute 30,000 plants of blackberry, peach, grapes, nectarine and fig across the region. These varieties are considered well-suited to Potohar’s ecological conditions and can improve farmers earnings.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2025