MINGORA: The five-day training programme on fruit and forest nursery ended here on Tuesday

Twenty-one community members from Khyber tribal district attended the event, which covered nursery raising, plant health, nursery management and registration, and plant marketing.

The programme was held at the Agriculture Research Institute, Swat, by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme under its German government-funded initiative for the reintegration and repatriation of IDPs in tribal districts.

The agriculture experts said the event was highly beneficial which mainly focused on practical lessons.

“This training programme was based on 75pc practical and 25pc theory. It will not only help sustain the green revolution in villages but it will also enable participants to gain financial benefits from business,” said Agriculture Research Institute principal Dr Mohammad Rauf.

The experts said participants were taken to private nurseries and orchards, where they directly interacted with the nurserymen and farmers and learned from their experience.

ARI director Dr Abdul Bari appreciated the efforts of SRSP for the development of the people of the newly-merged districts and said agriculture contributed 25 percent to the country’s GDP.

“The trainees are now certified to produce and manage fruit and forest plants,” he said.

The event was part of the ongoing livelihood development component of the SRSP’s interventions in the merged districts.

Over 46 community members of merged districts have undergone training in fruit and forest nursery raising. Most of them are running own business and are collaborating with several organisations in afforestation initiatives in own areas.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2018