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| November 14, 2005 | Monday | Shawwal 11, 1426 |
Farm sector revival to cost Rs26.8bn
ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: The agriculture sector of the AJK and the NWFP suffered a loss of Rs24.5 billion due to the October 8 earthquake, and an amount of Rs26.8 billion would be required over a period of five years for its revival, says a survey.
According to the survey conducted jointly by the Asian Development Bank and the European Union, a copy of which was also made available to Dawn, the direct losses to livestock, crops and irrigation in the quake-hit areas were to the tune of Rs18.081 billion, while the indirect losses were Rs6.4 billion.
In the AJK, livestock, crops and irrigation suffered losses worth $137.7 million, $72 million and $4 million, respectively, while in the NWFP, the figures for the three areas stood at $64.6 million, $21 million and $1.3 million, respectively.
The agriculture sector in the AJK suffered losses worth $278.8 million, and an amount of $276.9 million would be required for its revival. Similarly, the damages in the NWFP were assessed at $130.1 million, while rehabilitation would cost $169.7 million.
The survey showed that the crop subsector in the AJK suffered losses to the tune of $77 million in terms of damages to crops, including maize and paddy, land, fruit trees, farms etc. The rehabilitation cost was assessed at $58.9 million.
The direct and indirect losses sustained by livestock subsector in areas like poultry, animal sheds, research buildings, milk production, animal feed and vaccination amount to $197.7 million. Rehabilitation would cost $211.9 million over a period of five years.
With regard to irrigation, including water channels, diversions, water lifts, spillways and tanks in the AJK, the total damages were assessed at $278.8 million, requiring $276.9 million for reconstruction.
Similarly, in the NWFP, the total damages worked out in crops, livestock and irrigation subsectors were to the tune of Rs1.5 billion, Rs6.2 billion and Rs76 million, respectively, with the rehabilitation cost assessed at Rs1.4 billion, Rs8.6 billion and Rs114 million, respectively.
To make up for the losses, the rural economy would have to be rebuilt by providing finance for farmers as well as community- based infrastructure and activities.
Essential support services would have to be restored by promoting new technologies along with special initiatives to promote public and private partnerships, the survey said.
Special units would have to be set up in the AJK and the NWFP to coordinate activities in the quake-affected areas in order to report on the process completed or underway and to carry out periodic evaluations.
Direct support should be provided to farmers for rebuilding of farming system and to restart production and trade. Farmers should be asked to come up with proposals for reconstruction in groups of 15-20 and grants would be given on inputs and infrastructure basis, the survey suggested.
Under the reconstruction programme, funds should be provided to community organizations for repairing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of community-owned assets and facilities. This would include community (shamlat) lands, irrigation and infrastructure.
According to the survey, the poor and the vulnerable, particularly widows, orphans, landless people and the handicapped, should be enabled to participate in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process. In the early recovery phase of six months, the focus would be on vegetable seeds, poultry and small ruminants, it said.
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