The Commonwealth Agriculture Bureau (CABI), South Asia, organised a two-day workshops on wheat and maize crops curricula development for agricultural professionals and farmers working in command area development of small dams project, Islamabad.
A galaxy of agricultural scientists from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, National Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal, and agricultural experts from MTNFA, Agriculture Extension, PARB, Irrigation Department, NFDC, Seed Registration Certification Department, private sector, directorate of agriculture information, CABI SA and many others in addition to a lot of farmers from small dams participated in the workshops.
Professionally prominent agriculture scientists Dr Ahmad Salem Akhtar, Plant Pathologist and Dr Ghulam Mustfa, Entomologist, gave presentations in their fields of specialisation. According to Punjab Agriculture Information, all participants took lively part in groupwork and open discussion which enabled the organisers to have comprehensive need based information for the development of training module of international standard which is the ultimate objective and goal of these workshops.
The participants of the workshop were informed that most of the farmers of command area of small dams have fragmented land holdings, which result in loss of substantial quantity of water during irrigation. To overcome the problem the participant, farmers and experts stressed the need for land consolidation.
Participant farmers complained about non-implementation of 'warabandi' due to which tail-end farmers suffer a lot and therefore recommended strict enforcement of 'warabandi' on entire command area of the small dams.
They said that all small dams were designed for the limited command area at the time of construction but subsequently command area of most of the small dams increased substantially and as such stored water does not meet the existing requirements of command area. All participants of the workshop, therefore, recommended redesigning of all such small dams after feasibility studies to meet the existing irrigation water requirements of the command area.
They said that non-availability of improved quality seed of approved varieties of wheat and maize is one of the major causes of low yield. To overcome the problem, participant farmers and experts recommended establishment of network of Punjab Seed Corporation in command area of small dams which is absent at the moment. Furthermore, certified seed production of wheat and maize crops through public-private joint venture including progressive farmers of local area may be encouraged to ease the situation.
Workshop participant farmers were of the view that available farm machinery & implements do not match with their requirements and even the farm implements pool established under CAD small dams project needs to be strengthened accordingly.
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