Fata Secretariat has, in its Sustainable Development Plan (SDP 2006-2015), earmarked Rs 10,115 million budget for agricultural development and extension programmes in Fata, said a spokesman of the Secretariat here on Monday. He said that the programme would be initiated into phases, said a press release issued here by the Fata Secretariat Media Cell on Monday.
With an accumulated resource allocation of Rs 5,815 million, the first phase encompasses reclaiming cultivable lands, developing off-season vegetable cultivation, promoting arid agriculture and developing efficient systems to utilise water resources. In the second phase, an amount of Rs 4,300 million has been reserved for efforts that primarily focus on making a radical shift from subsistence agriculture towards high-valued market oriented products.
In a high level meeting of the Directorate of Agriculture Fata, issues relevant to integration of modern technologies, application of agriculture research and creation of linkages between stakeholders were discussed in an attempt to come up with practical recommendations. A senior official on that occasion said that agriculture extension has had a considerable role in increasing the productivity of lands and improving the quality of farm yield.
"The role of extension services is to upgrade and equip prospective farmers with new agricultural production methods and to encourage them to apply these methodologies in the field", he said. Promotion of agricultural extension services has been the prime objective of the Fata Secretariat's SDP, which capitalises on reducing poverty, facilitating economic growth and ensuring food security through the advancement of human resources and integration of modern technologies.
Application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education is one of the core components of the Directorate of Agricultural Fata. In this regard, several capacity-building workshops have already been put together for project staff as well as progressive farmers in areas, such as off-seasonal vegetable cultivation through tunnel farming, data collection for effective agricultural planning, careful application of technology for improved productivity and advice on opportunities in agricultural marketing.
Such efforts in extension and advisory services recognise the more complex agricultural knowledge and information systems that serve the diverse needs and issues of farmers in Fata. The meeting also noted the directorate's recent achievements and their impact on improving the agricultural portfolio of the tribal populous.
Briefing the media officials about the agriculture development interventions undertaken by the government, spokesman for the Fata Secretariat Media Cell, Tariq Afridi, commented that with limited chances of increasing land and water resources, agricultural growth must come from diversification through knowledge and technology, a derivative of agricultural extension.
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