Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah while appreciating successful conduct of Fata three-day Annual Fruit and Vegetable Show desired to take more concrete measures not only to enhance per acre yield of agricultural products but also to educate farming community on fully useful application of research findings for their own betterment as well as for the country.
Addressing as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the exhibition at Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, on Tuesday, the Governor particularly mentioned importance of educating and training of farming community on processing and preserving fruits and vegetables on scientific lines and provision of required quality of equipment to them as well. MNA from Khyber Agency, Malik Nasir Khan Afridi and the Additional Chief Secretary, FATA Arbab Muhammad Arif accompanied the governor while the respective heads of departments briefed him on salient features of their achievements.
Agricultural products especially raw fruits and vegetables; mineral resources and their subsidiary products as well as various varieties of scientific equipment being applied for this purpose besides different species of pet and wild animals and birds were also displayed in almost 40 stalls established at the exhibition. Each stall visibly depicted the agricultural products and resources alongside other means of socio-economic uplift resources of each and every tribal agency and frontier regions. The Governor went round each and every stall and exchanged views with the respective officials as well as farmers about their working; prevailing state of marketing of agricultural products and the measures underway for quality enhancement.
Pointing towards agriculturalists and the government officials present in large number at the concluding ceremony of the exhibition, the Governor said the nature blessed this region with highly fertile land. However, he added, to make it fully useful, there is dire need to ensure efficient management of agricultural land and make sure that sufficient resources are delivered for making sustained delivery of the wealth to the coming generations. "We are required not only to protect the cultivable land to be encroached for other purposes but also make better return of agricultural products to farming community," he said.
In this connection, while referring to production of olive seeds in FATA, the Governor also desired to ensure provision of oil processing equipment to respective farmers and educate them as well. The quality of olive seeds being produced in FATA, he added, is much better than exotic products and oil production indigenously will also be of great help in saving foreign exchange. Earlier, the Governor went to each and every stall at the exhibition and exchange views with respective officials and farmers. He particularly took keen interests in quality enhancement and preservation of apples, dates and many other products.