The NWFP Assembly Standing Committee on agriculture, livestock and co-operatives has urged the provincial government for taking measures to ensure rice cultivation in district Charsadda and construction of godowns for preservation of wheat and seeds in the province.
These suggestions have been prepared after holding a number of meetings by the Committee. Standing Committee Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad Khan Jhagra presided the meetings attended by senior officials of the departments concerned in the province.
The standing committee comprising NWFP Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operatives Minister Qari Mehmood, and MPAs - Javed Khan Mohmand, Irfanullah, Amirzada Khan, Rukhsana Bibi, Yasmin Pir Mohammad Khan, Qurban Ali Khan, and Syed Murid Kazim Shah.
The body has also called for establishment of Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory to facilitate farmers and resolve their problems at their doorsteps. It has further proposed the establishment of Agricultural Research Board and involvement of the members of the provincial assembly in the purchase and sale of wheat and seed by the in-charge of the agriculture centers concerned in the province.
The committee was informed that during last two financial years of 2002-03 and 2004-04 quality wheat seed was provided from farms services centers in the province. The number of farm services centers have also been increased to meet the requirements of the growers in the province.
It was also informed that a handsome amount of Rs 135 million was also being spent on different development projects in agriculture and livestock sectors besides construction of godowns at each district level to preserve the stock and ensure not only the storage of different good quality wheat seeds but also its timely provision to the growers in the province.
The committee was briefed that a formal research department has already been established in the department, which is carrying research on different new developed seeds, including wheat, maize, potatoes, and pulses. The seed of such commodities could be easily received from the research section of the department of agriculture for cultivation on fertile land to increase production. The wheat produced at farms services centers was being purchased by the Frontier Seed Corporation.
To a question, the committee was informed that the department presently has only the seed of maize, which is also in minimum quality. The stock has been lying in the stores of the department includes 2.70 metric ton (Bannu), 1.75 metric ton (Haripur) and 2.44 metric ton in Charsadda. District Mardan has three types of maize seeds and majority of them produced in Agriculture Research Centres of Pir Sabaq, district Nowshera.
About construction of godowns in farm services centers, the committee was informed that the department has already sanctioned Rs 39 million in head of the establishment of Farm Services Centres under which a community store would be established in each district of the province. Five stores would be constructed in one year each and by the end of five years such stores would be opened in all 24 districts of the province to provide facility of water management, co-operative, livestock and research, soil conservation and extension under the roof of one building to the growers.
It was also informed that good quality seed of wheat has been provided to growers after taking their requirements into consideration. The number of farms services centers has been increased to store good quality seed and provide them to the growers on the time.
The committee was informed that the agriculture research system has great importance and it is working with provincial government and agricultural university at a time. Presently, 11 institutions were working on different crops while taking into consideration the particular environment of the area and sending their recommendations to growers' organisations and the Department of Agricultural Extension.