SIALKOT, Nov 23: Wheat will be cultivated on over 425,000 acres in the district during the Rabi season. District Nazim Naeem Javaid told newsmen on Tuesday that the agriculture department had initiated the first phase of "Farmers training programme" in district's 1,540 villages aimed at providing advanced techniques and the latest information to growers, enabling them to increase per acre yield.

He said so far the training programme had been accomplished in 600 villages. The Nazim said under the one-window operation, all commercial banks and the ADBP would give loans to growers, enabling them to purchase pesticides and fertilizers in Sialkot, Daska and Pasrur tehsils.

DEFAULTERS: Agriculture loans worth Rs29.1 million are outstanding against 100 big defaulters. This was stated by the ADBP officials during a meeting of revenue officers here on Tuesday. The Sialkot EDO (revenue) presided over the meeting.

The district government directed the revenue officers to launch a recovery campaign against defaulters. It also directed ADBP's higher authorities to provide details of the properties of defaulters as the same would be auctioned to recover the outstanding dues.