Around 15000 farmers registered information assistance, FAO
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
In an effort to improve the traditional farming system in newly merged tribal districts, a mega project has been launched under which farmers community will be provided with assistance to digital innovation in promoting and developing agriculture for food security and nutrition.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in collaboration with Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched “Restoring Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture” program, a tele-messaging service for tribal farmers.
The ceremony was held in Peshawar at Agriculture Extension Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where Mina Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative in Pakistan handed over IT equipment to Secretary Agriculture Dr Muhammad Israr Khan.
Primary Rate Interface (PRI) system with amplified frequency rate will aid tele-farming messaging to far-flung areas of tribal districts where current information systems are inept to reach.
The system will work through Model Farm Service Centers (MFSCs) established and controlled by KP’s agriculture department at district level in merged areas where more than 15000 farmers have registered for farming information assistance.
More farmers will be able to register through the PRI system for advisory services as there is limited service of various Telco’s in the merged districts, so the extension of the current system is not possible without arranging the system’s own PRI.
“Providing these PRI equipment is in line with our global vision to use digital innovation in promoting and developing agriculture for food security and nutrition”, said Mina Dowlatchahi, FAO representative in Pakistan.
Secretary Agriculture appreciated the collaboration of FAO in developing agriculture sector in KP and lauded the efforts for provision of the PRI equipment that will improve outreach of Agriculture Department to farming communities in far flung areas of the province saying that it is important to develop dissemination model to re-align research with animal rearing and crops variety development.
This assistance will go a long way in strengthening FAO cooperation with KP government in outreaching the farmers with tele-messaging for good agricultural practices including time of individual crops sowing, methods of sowing, seed rate, good quality seed, safe usage of fertilizer and agrochemicals, harvesting, reduction of pre and postharvest losses, and livestock management.
It will cover agronomic crops, vegetables, fruits, fodder and all that is grown and cultivated in various parts of Tribal districts. The facilitation will help in strengthening the teleworking of Bureau of Agriculture Information (BOAI) for outreach to farmers in Tribal Districts of KP.
