MULTAN: Agriculture spokesman said on Tuesday that farmers must use registered Basmati varieties and complete sowing process within the ongoing month, June 2022, if they want to get higher per acre production of rice.
In a statement, the spokesman identified registered Basmati varieties which farmers should sow from June 7 to 25 including Super Basmati, Chanab Basmati, Basmati-515, Punjab Basmati, PK-1121 (Aromatic), Noor Basmati, Nibge Basmati 2020, Niab Basmati 2020, PK-2021 (Aromatic), Super Gold, Super Basmati 2019, besides hybrid Basmati varieties SK-111H, Al-Khalid Rice, NBR-2, Niab Super, and PK-386.
Moreover, sowing of Shaheen Basmati and Kissan Basmati should be completed from June 15 to 30 while the remaining recommended hybrid Basmati varieties should be sown till June 15, he added.
The varieties not recommended by officials must not be sown.
He said that national productivity project was under execution in fifteen districts of Punjab where registered farmers can avail subsidy on selected registered varieties. The districts included Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Okara, Sialkot, Nankana Sahib, Bahawalnagar, Jhang, Narowal, Kasur, Chiniot, Gujrat, Lahore, Hafizabad, Faisalabad and Mandi Bahauddin.
The varieties included Super Basmati, Basmati 515, PK-1121 (Aromatic), Kissan Basmati, Super Basmati 2019 and Super Gold while non-Basmati varieties included KSK-133, PK-386, Niab IRRI-9, KS-282 and IRRI-6.
A subsidy of Rs 1200 per bag was being offered on Basmati varieties while Rs 800 on non-Basmati varieties. The subsidy can be claimed through vouchers inside bags by registered farmers only. However, those not yet in the list can still get themselves registered after contacting officials.
