November 6, 2001	Tuesday	Shaba’an 19, 1422

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PESHAWAR, Nov 5: The fisheries and sericulture departments will work out an action plan to develop fisheries and sericulture sectors to boost the economic activities in the province.

A meeting presided over by Mohammad Abbas Khan, NWFP minister for fisheries, sericulture, forests, thoroughly discussed various matters aimed at making the departments more beneficial. Besides others the meeting was attended by secretary forests Khalid Sultan, director fisheries Sultan Ahmad Awan, chief conservator of forest Ghazi Marjan, deputy directors sericulture and fisheries.

A detailed briefing was given to the minister regarding activities and restructuring of fisheries and sericulture departments besides signing of an MoU with the Bank of Khyber for advancing micro-credit loans.

The minister stressed the need for increasing the silkworm in order to save the precious foreign exchange being spent on its import. He also stressed for increasing the honeybee production which would help generate foreign exchange to the country as during the last few years the export of honey has been increased manifold. He stressed the need for more research, training and effective marketing to improve the quality and quantity of these products.

“The past wrong doing should not be repeated and research on scientific lines be conducted to promote sericulture in the province”, the minister elaborated. He asked for an efficient working and close liaison between the main office and its district offices to achieve the target. He said that all resources be mobilized to get maximum benefits of the available resources.

A seminar will also be arranged shortly to educate and train the farmers about fisheries and sericulture.

The minister was told that a sericulture project is being introduced which would beside giving training to the concerned people will also give free of cost boxes for honeybee producers as well as monitoring their working throughout the year to increase their production.

The meeting was also informed about the negotiations held with the BoK and signing of MoU with the bank and making the loan money more beneficial for the borrowers. The meeting was informed that a person with one acre of land could get loan for developing the fish hatchery from the bank.

The minister asked the concerned authorities to prepare an action plan that how to improve training and research in the field.

In order to enhance fish production in the province, a comprehensive programme is being initiated with cost-effective measures. He said that in order to get more fish food we may learn from the experience of other provinces to achieve this goal. The minister a systematic approach will also attract the people to invest in this sector.

The possibility of giving on lease certain fish hatcheries like Sherabad Component-II which are presently non-operational to the private sector should also be sort out which will not only boost the economic activities but will also involve private sector to compete in a healthy atmosphere for increase of the output, the minister concluded.