In a significant step towards enhancing agricultural output and reducing dependency on tomato imports, the Punjab Government has introduced a comprehensive plan to promote off-season vegetable cultivation, with a special focus on tomatoes. This initia-tive aims to help farmers increase pro-duction and improve their economic conditions, while ensuring a steady supply of tomatoes at affordable prices across the country. Syed Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari, Director of Agriculture Extension for the Rawalpindi Division, along with a team of agricultural experts, visited a model off-season tomato nursery in Moza Manser, District Attock. The nursery, set up by progressive farmer Mahfooz Ahmed, serves as an example of successful off-season cultivation using the department’s recommended methods. The team also included Shehzad Butt, Director of Horticulture Punjab; Dr. Muhammad Javed, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension for Attock; Zafar Iqbal, Assistant Director for Hazro Tehsil; and Samina Fatima, Agriculture Officer for Hazro Tehsil.

During the visit, Bukhari highlighted the importance of off-season tomato production, noting that it would not only boost local tomato supply but also help stabilize prices in the market. He emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Punjab Government's priority to increase agricultural productivity in the Potohar region. The plan, he ex-plained, would result in economic benefits for farmers by providing them with better crop prices, while reducing the foreign exchange spent on tomato imports.“We are committed to ensuring that farmers in this region benefit from higher yields and better economic re-turns,” Bukhari said. “The introduction of off-season tomatoes will play a cru-cial role in meeting domestic demand and providing a more reliable supply of tomatoes at reasonable prices.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan