PESHAWAR, July 14: The NWFP government, in collaboration with private sector, plans to set up dairy colonies in Peshawar, Mardan and Dera Ismail Khan during the current fiscal year.

Official sources said here on Friday that the colonies would help promote livestock and dairy industry to meet the growing needs of the province.

An amount of Rs246 million has been earmarked for the agriculture sector which includes 26 ongoing and nine new projects. The targets set to be achieved this year by the provincial government include repair of 200 water courses, administration of vaccination to 700,000 cattle heads, setting up of 7,920 model farms and imparting agricultural training to 5,526 farmers.

24 farm services centres would be established and artificial insemination of 195,000 animals would be carried out besides cultivation of tea on one hectare area and plantation of 600,000 saplings.

The government has envisaged various measures in the current budget to achieve autarky in agriculture production and improve socio-economic lot of farmers, especially small land holders.

Half of the agricultural land of the NWFP is irrigated by rain and the rest through canal system due to which drought adversely affects agriculture output.

To offset impact of water shortage and drought the Agriculture Department has taken cogent steps to stop wastage of irrigation water.—APP