PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department has unveiled amega agriculture package worth Rs17.573 billion to facilitate farmers,beekeepers, and horticulturists of the province.
The package was approved under the 100 days ambition plan of the PTIgovernment as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to improvesocio-economic of people associated with the agriculture sector.
The package entitled, “Incentives plan for agriculture sector KP,” has beendrafted by Agriculture Extension Wing of KP Agriculture Department whichreceived applause by the Prime Minister Imran Khan when unfolded under hischair few da ays back.
Dr Murad Ali, Deputy Director Planning Agriculture Extension KP told APP onSunday that the main components of the mega package to be covered under theplan over a period of next five years included incentive plans for cereals,horticulturists, sugarcane growers, agri extension activities, agriculturemarketing produce, addition in fruits vegetable and processing.
Referring to incentives made available for cereals, Dr Murad said it is themain important source of nutrition in Pakistan as wheat and rice are staplecommodities in the daily food consumption.
To address their problems, various activities have been proposed which willnot only improve socio -economic conditions of farmers but would alsoimprove food security situation and will be having a positive impact on thecountry’s economy.
Total incentives offered in the cereals sector amounting to Rs4.6 billionwill be benefiting more than 6,00,000 farmers.
About horticulture sector, Murad told APP that KP is blessed with varietyof climates suitable for cultivation of many vegetables and fruitsincluding citrus, apple, peach, plum, apricots, dates, cucumbers, onions,cauliflowers, cabbage, chilies, pumpkins etc.
According to 2015 statistics, fruits are sown on areas of 38357 hectareshaving production of 335986 tons and similarly vegetables growing on areaof 34810 hectares with a production of 384694 tons.
The package incentive plan will benefit 66000 farmers for which 5.34billion have been allocated for fruits and vegetables growers.
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The senior agriculture officer said farmers associated with sugarcane willbe provided Rs100.750 million incentives under the plan which will benefitaround 10500 farmers in the province.
He said sugarcane is one of the major cash crops of the province as in2015-16, it was sown in an area of 11586 hectares having production of5472889 tons.
Under the plan, sugarcane growers will be provided incentives in the shapeof nurseries kids and machinery.
Extension activities to be carried out under the plan included arranging 56number of Kisan melas at divisional level, four provincial kisan melas and400 field days.
The plan has also addressed the marketing issues of the agriculture producein the province, he said adding, various set of activities have beenproposed under this mega incentive plans included construction of ninemarkets, registration of all major and minor agriculture markets, capacitybuilding of farmers, stakeholders and dissemination of market informationto the farmers through ICT.
Around 30,000 small and poor farmers would be facilitated and benefited byproviding small and invocate machinery and equipment, he added.
He said value addition in fruits, vegetables and processing is also part ofthe 100 days plan under which 12000 number of farmers will be distributedat a cost of Rs4.30 billion.
Similarly, under honey beekeeping and processing a total of 3000 farmerswill benefit at a cost of Rs225 million.
