Rs780m ‘Date Palm Valley’ Project Launched In South Punjab

LAHORE, (Muzaffargarh.City – 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Punjab Agriculture Department has launched a unique project of ‘Date Palm Valley’ in south Punjab, at a cost of Rs780 million. Officials of Punjab Agriculture Department told APP that its objective is to transform nine districts of southern Punjab into the ‘Date Palm Valley’.

Pakistan is earning handsome foreign exchange annually by exporting dates, the sources added. He said that under the project, free plants have been distributed in nine districts of Punjab. To a question, he said that in Pakistan the annual date production has crossed the amount of 550,000 tonnes, which he added helps get $300 million of forex annually.

He said that under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the agriculture department had started a five-year project at a cost of Rs 780 million to distribute Ajwa, Barhee, Amber, Khulas and Midjaul varieties in Multan, Bahawalpur, Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar and Rajanpur districts.

Due to better management services and provision of facilities, the export price of date in the country has increased from $200-300 million in one year, he added. The date produced in Pakistan is famous for its quality, taste but the packing and processing could be improved further, he added. APP/saa-xl/gmf/rsdh