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    Strawberry Haji Saeed FSD

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    imran zahid

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    Strawberry Haji Saeed FSD

    Uploaded by

    imran zahid
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    Strawberry Haji Saeed Fsd

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    2 views1 page

    Strawberry Haji Saeed FSD

    Uploaded by

    imran zahid

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 1

    

         More Crop per Drop


    Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project

    Popularization of Strawberry in the Punjab PIPIP


    About 30 years ago, strawberry was not as common in Pakistan Feature Story
    as it is now. It reached Pakistan in the 1980s but was cultivated in the cool
    northern areas only including Swat divsion, the most known place for growing
    strawberries. Subsequently, the farmers of Sindh and Balochistan provinces
    started growing it. Now a days, strawberry cultivation trend is getting popular
    among progressive growers in the Punjab and they are earning better economic
    returns with higher yields under drip irrigation. Drip Irrigation has been
    installed on about 200 acres for strawberry cultivation in the Punjab.

    Haji Saeed, a progressive farmer of Samundri, district Faisalabad,


    owns 15 acres of irrigated land. He has installed drip irrigation system under the
    World Bank assisted “Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement
    Project (PIPIP)” on twelve (12) acres to grow strawberry and other vegetables.

    The Farm Manager of Haji Saeed Farm, Mr. M. Akhtar has versatile
    experience of growing high value crops with drip irrigation system and shared
    that “Strawberry sowing is done at the end of October and harvesting starts
    during the last week of February which generally continues till end of May. Initially,
    growers used 40-inch bed spacing (22-inch bed width) with one drip line and
    two plant rows per bed. Now, many progressive growers are using one drip line
    for four plant rows per bed enhancing the plant population from 50,000 to
    80,000 plants per acre”.

    While responding to a question regarding agricultural inputs


    cost reduction with drip irrigation, Mr. Akhtar said that “drip irrigation has
    reduced the energy cost upto 45%. Before drip irrigation, energy cost to run
    tubwell for irrigating the vegetable during 3 months crop season was Rs. 15,000
    per acre. Now it has been reduced to Rs. 8,000 per acre. Drip irrigation helps to
    deliver requisite quantity of water at the right time and uniform rate per zone
    depending on the weather parameters. Although drip irrigation is helping us to
    produce more with less inputs but there is an issue of escalating prices of
    agricultural inputs including fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, Diesel etc., which
    reduces our profit margin. As strawberry is a perishable food, so price fluctuation
    in the local market also affects the small farmers due to non-availability of better
    transport facilities in the remote areas”.

    “Drip is the preferred method of irrigation for strawberry because


    it limits disease attack due to no standing water in the crop and less humidity,
    leading to good quality fruit” Akhtar said. He further highlighted that “cultivation
    of high value crops with drip irrigation has also provided livelihood opportuni-
    ties to many people especially females of nearby villages”.

    In the Punjab, row crop growers are adopting drip irrigation as a Farm Manager: M. Akhtar
    production tool rather than a technology for saving water only. Initially, the drip Ph #: +92-345-7886711
    irrigation was considered as a better method to save agricultural inputs but it Chak No. 134/GB,
    has enabled to tackle water, fertilizer, labor, energy, chemigation and food Tehsil: Samundri,
    safety issues which are becoming more important day by day. It is good news District: Faisalabad,
    that the progressive growers are considering drip irrigation as a complete crop Punjab Pakistan
    production technology that provides real solutions.
    Email: pipipwm@gmail.com
    Directorate General Agriculture
    (Water Management) Punjab, Pakistan Website: www.ofwm.agripunjab.gov.pk

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