Garments worth $212.52 million exported in July

ISLAMABAD (APP): Readymade garments worth $212.52 million were exported during the first month of current financial year as compared the same month of last year. During the month of July, about 3,247 thousand dozens of readymade garments valuing $212.52 million were exported as compared the exports of 2,449 thousand dozen worth $176.407 million of same month last year. Exports of readymade garments grew by 20.47 percent during the period under review. Meanwhile, exports of art, silk and synthetic textile received overwhelming response as their exports grew by 340.42pc during the first month of current financial year, it added. About 9,722 thousand square meters of art, silk and synthetic textile worth $23.512 million were exported as compared the exports of 2,676 square meters valuing $5.33 million of same month of last year. During the first month, exports of madeup articles excluding towels enhanced by 4.5 percent and were recorded at $48.395 million as against the exports of $46.510 million of same month last year.

However, the exports of knitwear decreased by 5.80 percent and recorded at 9,295 thousand dozens worth of $193.749 million as compared the exports of 9,210 thousand dozens valuing $205.685 million of same period last year. Country earned $170.443 million by exporting about 27,126 metric tons of bedwear as compared the exports of 27,377 metric tons of bedwear valuing $169.474 million.

 

 

Chinese scientists to help Pakistan in boosting rice production

LAHORE (APP): Chinese scientists are ready to help Pakistan in increasing rice production, said Dr Wang, head of a delegation of Chinese scientists, during their visit to Rice Research Institute at Kala Shah Kak on Monday. Rice Research Institute Director Dr Muhammad Akhtar welcomed the visitors. Both sides stressed the need for increasing liaison between the Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku and Chinese Long Ping Hi-tech for preparing rice varieties with higher yield. Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali, a senior official of the Punjab Agriculture Department, suggested promoting hybrid rice varieties to increase per acre yield of paddy. He said that hybrid varieties will decrease the cost of production of the rice crop and ultimately increase exports. The delegation will visit all rice producing areas and give recommendations. It will also visit Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the next few days, the members will reach Islamabad to prepare their recommendations and present them on October 11.

 

 

 

Plan to organise vegetable, fruit  production competitions

LAHORE (APP): For the first time, vegetable and fruit production competitions (2017-18) are being held at district and provincial level on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. A spokesman of the Punjab Agriculture said this here on Monday. He said the purpose of these competitions was to encourage the farmers and to boost their morale. He further said the Punjab agriculture department was working on various projects to motivate growers. Cotton, rice, mango, orange, potato, guava, corn growers could participate in these competitions, he added. He disclosed that laser land leveller, tractor sprayer, hot water treatment plant, tractor trolley, potato digger, zero tillage drill, orchard sprayer, disc harrow, harrow with engine, Rabbi planter, rotavator/off set rotavator, boom sprayer, DSR drill, cotton ridger, maize shredder and others tools would be given as prize to the winners of the competitions. He said modern machinery would not help farmers to increase per acre yield of their crops but also save their time.

 

 

 

Railways leases out 6,496 acres land in 3 years

ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Railways (PR) has leased out 6,496 acres railway land across the country to different departments and private persons to generate extra revenue during last three years. "The land was leased and licensed out for various purposes including premium shops, stacking, agriculture and parking stands etc," an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP. He said that it is worth pointing out that Pakistan Railway earned a revenue of Rs4653.917 million in last three years as compared to Rs1578.136 million in previous three years. Giving province wise breakup, the official said that Pakistan Railways has leased out 5,132 acres in Punjab, 833 in Sindh, 470 in KP and 59 acres in Balochistan. To a question, he said that railway administration carried out six anti encroachment operations to retrieve its encroached lands. The official said that a total of 3594.488 acres railway land has been retrieved with the assistance of Railway Police and District Administration since February 1, 2012 till August 31, 2017.