KP Govt. Plans 60 Agri Project Worth Rs.15.1bn

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Mar, 2021 ) :Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government has planned about 60 agriculture, livestock and fisheries projects worth Rs15.1 billion for 2021-22 under the Prime Minister Emergency Agriculture Programme (PMEAP).

Sources in KP Agriculture Department told APP on Monday that under PMEAP, projects related to land-leveling, construction of watercourses, small dams, model fish farms, hatcheries, distribution of wheat and maize seeds among farmers, converting tube-wells on solar energy, strengthening of research and vaccination programme, calves fattening, poultry program and save calves would be executed in KP including merged areas.

Similarly, Rs10.96 billion is being spent on completion of 116 ongoing developmental agriculture, livestock and fisheries projects during current fiscal year, thus a total of 176 projects worth Rs25.98 billion would be completed during next two years.

Provincial food Security's policy has been compiled and a committee under Director General, Agriculture Extension, was constituted for estimation of wheat's cultivable land with direction to submit report by March 31.

The official said efforts were being made to increase cultivable agriculture land from existing 3.2 million acres in the province. A proposal regarding establishment of Agriculture business Authority (ABA) was also under-consideration.

PMAEP has been extended to all seven tribal districts of merged areas to bring its vast un-utilized land under agriculture, livestock, poultry and fisheries cover.

Feedlot Fattening Project (FFP), Save The Calf (STC) and Poverty Alleviation through Poultry Development (PAPD) also extended to merged areas after its inclusion in PMAEP.

The ongoing projects are being monitored by experts to ensure transparency in utilization of funds and durability of projects on ground.

The official said an inclusive plan has been prepared to strengthen about 8,264 agriculture farms in the province including in merged areas. Currently, about 8264 agriculture farms on 52910.41 acres Pakistan including 1539 on 5569.70 acres in province with 18pc share of KP have been developed and efforts would be made to strengthen it under PMAEP. In the first phase, focus would be made on development of small farms up to 50 acres to facilitate a large number of farmers, ensure easy accessibilities and required less investment.

Out of about 1254 farms of less than one-acre area in the country, 476.33 were found in KP besides 2342.23 farms including 497.08 in KP are of one to 2.5 acres, 1754 farms including 271.16 in KP are of 2.5 to five acres,1132 including 129.01 in KP of 5 to 7.1 acres and 917.01 including 91.85 in KP are under 7.5 to 12.5 acres.

Similarly, 560.75 farms in Pakistan including 49.22 in KP are of 12.5 to 25 acres, 210.91 farms in country including 18.18 in KP were 25 to 50 acres area.

The official said the country has vast integrated area with land utilization on over 20.95 million hectares including 0.87 million hectares in KP with overall 4.15 percent share and 22.06 million hectares are cultivated including 1.62 million hectares in KP and 35.80 uncultivated area including 4.55 million hectare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa besides 4.55 hectares are under forests including 1.18 million hectares in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The water-channels leading to these agriculture farms would be improved and soils to be leveled under range management techniques in line with PMEAP.

Model poultry farms would be established in all seven tribal districts and a modern poultry research center had been established in Jaba, Mansehra district. Under PMAEP, over 8,000 acres barren land in tribal districts would be converted into orchards whereas 28,000 acres would be brought under cultivation.

Similarly, over 25,000 acres land would be utilized for production of corn and wheat seeds whereas 16,000 acres land would be allocated for cultivation of vegetables and seeds.

As many as 84 new olive varieties had been introduced out of which plantation of eight to 10 varieties was underway in the country including KP and research on the adaptability aspect of remaining varieties was being done by different agriculture research institutes.

New olive extraction plants and processing mills in Nowshera, Sang Bhattai Mardan, Tarnab Peshawar, Swat, Bajaur, Attock, Chakwal and Loralai Baluchistan equipped with modern equipment with oil extraction capacity of 4000 KG per hour were established.

The official said Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab (ARI), Peshawar has been declared Center of Excellence for research on olives and Sang Batti in Mardan as Olive Valley to increase edible oil production.