WHILE some budgeted agriculture projects are yet to be started even by the end of the third quarter of the financial year, officials in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agriculture department are eying a decent utilisation of the targeted development spending by the year end.
The total ADP outlay, according to a senior official, is Rs1530 million for 73 projects out of which 48 on-going schemes got Rs873 million and 25 new ones got Rs657 million.
The department is supposed to complete 25 per cent work on ADP in each quarter, and by that yardstick the ADP utilisation ratio should be around 75 per cent by March end. When asked as to what was the utilisation ratio and major achievements in the current year ADP so far, the official declined to share any exact data, but said substantial progress had been made on a number of projects.
It has been the normal practice for the provincial governments to disburse delayed disbursements in the final quarter.
“I don’t have exact figures on the ADP utilisation at the moment. It’s very difficult to assess work on the ADP as agriculture is different in nature and involves experimentation whose final results are awaited for seasons. However, the ADP implementation continues and the situation will be clear by May. We may come close to around 80 per cent of utilisation of funds by the year end,” the official said.
One of the salient features of the ADP was the purchase of bulldozers and other machines for reclamation and leveling of lands. “Tenders for the procurement of 25 bulldozers are to be issued shortly. These will increase the efficiency and capacity of the department to expedite land reclamation ratio across the province,” he said.
“We have laid out hundreds of demonstration plots of off-season vegetables. The farmers have welcomed the project as the new technology and expertise would increase their productivity and incomes,” the official said.
As far as rehabilitation of flood-affected lands through plantation of new fruit orchards in Swat and the central districts of Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera etc. were concerned, the official claimed that despite the fact that the project was started late, the department had laid out fruit orchards on 250 acres, exceeding its target of 200 acres. “In the coming year, we plan to reclaim another 4,000 acres of flood-devastated lands in this project,” he added.
“Another major achievement is the development on the oilseeds side. The KP government has again obtained the possession of the big olive farm at Sangbatti Mardan. It will be the hub of olive and other oilseeds production. We have planted more olive plants there. We hope the farm would provide edible oil and help save billions of rupees in foreign exchange,” he said.
The official said the Khpala Khawara Khpal Ikhtyar project was to develop culturable wasteland for landless farmers and unemployed agricultural graduates on lease with provision of farm inputs for two years.
“The PC-1 of the project has to be approved yet. The provincial agriculture department is going to present its case in the next meeting of the provincial development working party to be held soon. It will provide earning opportunities to educated graduates improve the livelihood means of the impoverished landless peasants and help increase food security level in the province,” the official said.
He also pointed towards an ongoing project of the hybrid maize production. “For the first time in the country, the KP has grown hybrid maize through public-private partnership and has started commercial hybrid maize seeds production. The province has not only fulfilled its own needs but is also selling the high-yielding variety to other provinces, he said.
The official said 6-8 ADP schemes had been delayed as their PC-1 was not approved as yet. “There could be multiple reasons for this delay. Sometimes there are errors in the contents or the format of the document or the finance department may have their own objections,” he added.
The official said each year the ADP projects were approved by certain bodies at various levels. “These include the district development committee, the district development working party, provincial development working party, the central development working party and executive committee of the national economic council. Sometimes, the projects are delayed by late or meagre funds’ releases. At times objections are raised by the C&W department on agriculture projects on construction sides. Sometimes, projects are approved late.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has favourable agro-climatic conditions for year round agriculture. Though cultivated area is just 0.2 acre per head and it has a high share of small sized land holdings, 50 per cent of the province’s total land still remains un-cultivated.
With little industrial base, the agriculture sector can be a dominant driving force for economic growth and development in KP provided its share in ADP is increased from the present dismal less than two per cent.
Major components of the ADP are: the procurement of bulldozers and power winches, projects for backyard gardening with FAO assistance for livelihood improvement of rural women, value addition in fruits and vegetables, off-season vegetable production, rehabilitation of flood-devastated lands with plantation of new orchards, poverty alleviation through improved rural poultry production and conservation of native livestock breeds.