Islamabad: The National Agriculture Research Centre (NARP) has launched a drip irrigation project to guide farmers on the efficient use of water, a news source reported.
The pilot project covers an area of at least seven acres. It also comprises three components: citrus orchard on one acre, sprinkler orchards on 2.5 acres, and raised beds on 2.5 acres.
Dr Munir Ahmad – Director of Climate Change, Alternate Energy and Water Resource Institute at NARC – said that only 40,000 acres out of Pakistan’s total irrigated area of 20 million acres is under drip irrigation.
He told reporters that NARC has collaborated with various provincial and national research centres to adopt a scientific approach for developing water and energy resources.
Dr Ahmad stressed the need to bring high value crops under sprinkle and drip irrigation as well as solar pumping irrigation. He requested the government to encourage private investment in a bid to locally manufacture drip irrigation devices.
