PATTOKI - Just 82 kilometers off to Lahore, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Pattoki Campus has set up drip irrigation plant for effective use of water during crop irrigation with the financial support of multinational company Nestle.

“There are multiple challenges to curb the water wastage during crop cultivation especially when farmers and agriculture students in Pakistan are not much aware from latest techniques for effective usage of water,” UVAS Agriculture Officer Saeed Ahmed briefed the media on Friday at UVAS Pattoki Campus. 

UVAS has experimented to use drip irrigation plant on 6.7 acres university premises on which the university has planted guava and other fruits seed. Apart from conducting training sessions for farmers, the UVAS in collaboration with Punjab Skill Fund introduced six-month short courses in floriculture and horticulture. There are 200 plus students who have completed university short courses certification in one year. The certification is accepted in 27 countries including European and Middle East countries.  

Saeed Ahmed said the method of drip irrigation could save upto 40 to 50 percent canal water. “Keeping in view the water scarcity in coming years in our country the effective use of water would be the most important thing and debate. As agriculture based economy Pakistan farmers should shift their irrigation methods to save energy, and water resources,” he added.

A student Muhammad Tayyab hailing from village Tara Garh of teshil Pattoki told The Nation that practical of drip irrigation gave him confidence to work to peruse a career in floriculture filed in or outside the country. “I have been given Rs 1500 monthly stipend apart from training and daily practical sessions to find out new solutions for old problems” he said.

Sustainable Agriculture Executive at Nestlé Pakistan Allah Bakhsh said drip irrigation plant has been very much effective use of water. “Drip irrigation to distribute water in crops has increased per acres yield capacity of crop also and so far Nestle has set up these plants on 107 acres in 12 different farms across Punjab,” he said.

“With the help of drip irrigation equipment number of plants and yield per acre could be increased on the same land,” Allah Baksh said.

Allah Baksh said cost of setting up each plant including plant and system’s pipe, sub pipe is around 0.15 to 0.3m in which Punjab government to bear 60 percent cost and farmer to invest 40 percent as per Nestle CSR scheme”.