SWABI: Peanut crop harvest has started in Swabi with farmers hoping to have a bumper produce this year.

Jabeen Qamar, an agriculture expert, said peanut was grown across the district, particularly the rain-fed Chota Lahor tehsil, adding peanut produced in Swabi was matchless in taste and was popular across the country.

The growers demanded that the provincial government pick the produce from them at reasonable price to help them bring more area under its cultivation.

They hoped their fields would get irrigated after the Pehur High Level Canal extension project was completed.

They said due to fine quality of peanut, a number of traders had paid them advance to get the produce.

Azam Khan, president of Kashtkar Coordination Council, said the government should encourage growers to bring more area under peanut cultivation by extending them incentives.

Sardar Ali, a grower, said they needed guidance of agricultural experts on how to improve their production while keeping in mind the region’s climate. The growers lamented that not a single expert of agriculture department visited the peanut growing areas to guide farmers.

ONE KILLED: A man was killed and another injured when rival groups exchanged fire in Kalu Khan area over an old enmity the other day, the police said.

District police officer Mohammad Shoaib Khan said members of the rival groups were returning after appearing in a case in Swabi Judicial Complex, Shahmansoor, when they exchanged fire in Mansabdar area.

He said as a result of firing, Hizbullah belonging to one group was killed on the spot, and Sanaullah from the other was injured. The injured was later taken to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

The police arrested two persons, namely Hayat Mohammad and Bilawal Khan, while others escaped.

MAN ARRESTED: The police arrested a man for allegedly entering his neighbour’s house and beating him and his daughter over a petty issue in Ghani Chathra area the other day.

The ‘victim’ woman told the police that Fawad Khan and her father, Muzamil Shah, had an altercation over a petty issue a few days ago.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2022