KHYBER: Agriculture department is focusing on promoting cultivation of peanuts in Bara as a recent trial cultivation of the crop by a group of enterprising farmers has proved to be a partial success despite use of ordinary seed and limited knowledge about its growing techniques.

Mohammad Ilyas, a dry fruit dealer in Bara Bazaar, told Dawn that the first yield of the recently-cultivated peanuts crop in Zaodin-Zakhakhel, Akkakhel and Sipah areas reached the market and earned a decent profit for local farmers.

He said that though it was the first crop of its type in Bara, it could compete with peanut crops of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in quality, size and taste. “Peanut could prove a better substitute to other traditional crops. It can earn a good amount for both farmers and dry fruit dealers,” he added.

Officials of agriculture department said that soil and climate conditions of Bara were the most favourable for peanut cultivation, provided local farmers used certified and improved quality seeds along with timely use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Its first cultivation in some areas proves partial success

Sharafat Khan Afridi, an official of agriculture department in Bara, told Dawn that though it was a personal initiative of some farmers, they were able to get a reasonable crop despite use of ordinary seed and repeated night time attacks by wild boars, which uprooted a major portion of the ripe crop.

He said that the department approached farmers only after peanuts were cultivated and then they were provided with technical support both in use of fertilisers and timely application of pesticides to ward off seasonal diseases and pest attacks.

The official said that the department decided to encourage farmers to use certified seeds as results from the ‘test trial’ of the first crop were encouraging and to the satisfaction of both farmers and agriculture experts.

Abid Shah, another official of agriculture department, said that they would focus on removing climate-related hazards and provision of quality seeds to provide maximum financial benefits to local farmers.

He said attention would also be paid to prevent sudden attacks of wild boars as the initial trial cultivation was made mostly on arid lands with farmers having little knowledge about the management of the comparatively new but profitable crop.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2025