KP govt modernizing agriculture sector on modern lines

PESHAWAR, Sep 10 (APP):Advisor to the Chief Minister for Agriculture, Mian Muhammad Umar KakaKhel, said on Thursday that practical steps were under way to modernize the agriculture sector of the province on modern lines and create better production opportunities for farmers. In a statement, he said that priority was being given to the provision of modern machinery, solarization of tube wells and the restoration of barren land to cultivable agricultural land under the provincial government's agricultural projects. Highlighting three important initiatives of the Agricultural Engineering sector, the advisor said that under the provision of agricultural machinery scheme, 400 modern agricultural machines were being distributed among farmers, of which 250 machines were being provided to farmers in the merged districts and 150 to farmers in settled districts. Under this project, costing approximately Rs 320 million, farmers pay only 20 percent of the machinery cost, while the remaining 80 percent is paid to the company after the completion of the final inspection. He said under the solarization project, 400 agricultural tube wells were being shifted to solar energy, of which 235 tube wells had been solarized so far 151 located in settled districts and 84 in merged districts. He said this project, costing approximately Rs 1.12 billion, would benefit 1,000 farmers and create 2,500 employment opportunities. The advisor said under the barren land restoration project, a target had been set to convert 5,000 acres of barren land into cultivable agricultural land, including 3,400 acres in settled districts and 1,600 acres in merged districts. He said this project, costing approximately Rs 315 million, would benefit 1,000 farmers and create 2,500 employment opportunities. He said these steps were important strides towards enhancing farmers' production capacity, effective use of water resources, making barren land cultivable and creating new employment opportunities in rural areas. He added that a strong agriculture sector alone forms the foundation of a strong rural economy, better food security and prosperous farmers. The advisor said modern machinery, solar energy and an increase in cultivable land marked a practical journey towards better production and a bright future for the farmers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.