University of Agriculture, Faisalabad has embarked upon a plan to guide the farmers throughout Punjab province with the help of information communication technology (ICT) to adopt most appropriate agriculture technology for best fertiliser application model on district level.
This system would be channelized through call centres, internet services, mobile and SMS service on district level to disseminate latest agricultural information to the farmers. The model would help the farmers to use fertilisers on the basis of requirements and curb production cast by curtailing unnecessary use of fertilisers. Through the help of ICT fund of federal government, agriculture department extension wing has been included in 30 million rupees mega project, said a spokesman of the Agriculture Department here on Saturday.
A meeting was held in the new syndicate hall, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad under the chairmanship of Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in which the details and targets of the plan were presented. The head of the project Dr Rashid Ahmad, Engineer Ahsan Raza Sattar, Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agri. (Extension) Punjab, Muhammad Rafique Akhare, Director Agricultural Information Punjab attended the meeting.
Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad emphasised the importance of dissemination of agricultural technology to the farmers at lower levels with the help of farmers representatives and organisations. He also asked to impart training to the staff of call centres at district levels so that message could be communicated to the farmers in most simple language.
