LAHORE, Sept 3: A special campaign to check water theft will be launched in rice-growing areas under the auspices of agriculture, irrigation departments and the local police.

This was said by Punjab Agriculture Secretary Fayyaz Bashir while presiding over a meeting of the Rice Working Group held at the Agriculture House here on Saturday.

The meeting was attended by the Punjab Agriculture (Extension) director-general and the irrigation chief engineers of Lahore, Faisalabad and Sargodha.

The Punjab Agricultural Marketing special secretary, district officers of Rice Zone, representative of PCPA and progressive growers also attended the meeting.

Special Secretary Muhammad Yousaf said paddy cleaner-cum-dryers would be installed in public sector for demonstration purpose to check the Aflatoxin problem.

He said the government was recommending representation of rice farmers in Quality Review Committee (QRC) to make pre-shipment inspection of rice more effective.

Post Warning and Quality Control Director Dr. Ijaz Pervez recommended application of suitable insecticides (grannies/liquid) in case of rice stem borer infestation reached above FTI. He predicted that infestation of rice stem borer is likely to increase in Alipur Markaz, Wazirabad tehsil.

In Gujranwala district, maximum number of moths were recorded during pest scouting of the area last week, he said.

Rapid Soil Fertility Director Dr.Khalid Gill reported that during July and August, 199 samples of zinc were drawn for analysis out of which 19 were found unfit being substandard and legal proceeding against the culprits had been initiated. —APP