Food Security Pilot Project
increases per acre rice yield
ISLAMABAD-Food Security Pilot Project assisted by Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) has helped to increase per acre
yield of Wheat and Rice.
Official sources stated here on Saturday that FAO is providing
necessary assistance and co-operation to the growers and
farmers community.
During Phase-I project, villages "Malo-Mahay" in Daska
Tehsil of Sialkot District and "44-SB" in Sargodha District of
the Punjab and village "Loke" in D.I.Khan District, of NWFP
have been selected as pilot areas.
The productivity at village level of first wheat crop
(1998-99) under this project was enhanced by 51.5% at Daska
and 28.0% at Sargodha over benchmark productivity level.
Productivity of second wheat crop (1999-2000) was increased
by 61.5% and 62.9% at Sargodha and Daska pilot sites,
respectively Increase in wheat productivity as village level
in D.I.Khan was to the tune of 168% during Rabi
1999-2000.
Under the Pilot Project, modern agriculture technology is
being transferred to the growers and farmers of the village
for enhancing per acre yield of different crops especially
rice and wheat.
They said main objectives of this programme is to supplement
the country's ongoing efforts to increase food production
through increasing productivity for improving national
food security and meet rapidly growing food demand as well as
to reduce seasonal and year to year variability in
production on economically and environmentally sustainable
basis.
The approach of this programme is technology-led and farmers
participation at all stages, field activities will be
implemented under farmers leadership and participation while
the programme will provide technical assistance and means and
tools required
for effective implementation. The programme is
multi-disciplinary covering the whole process in the system.
Provincial Governments provide technical services at each
project village to guide and assist the farmers at their
door-step. For ensuring future sustainability, Input
Sale Center (ISC), Farm Services Center (FSC) and
Revolving Fund Account (RFA) have been established at each
village under the supervision of VO. Small scale poultry
farming, bee keeping establishment of plant nursery and fish
farming were introduced for income diversification. The SPFS
pilot project provided 500 birds at Sargodha and a shed of
1000 sq feet.
Looking at the profitability of this trade, the farmers by
their own investment, built seven additional sheds having
11,000sq feet covered area and put 12,000 one day old layer
chicks for initiating second cycle of rural poultry farming.
The 11-fold increase in poultry shed area and 24-fold increase
in number of chicks was possible in one years time. The bee
farming also rapidly popularized and number of bee colonies
grew by 56% from 50 to 78 during the same period. On average,
each farmer got five honey crops producing 2127 Kg of honey
giving an average gross return of Rs 30,424 to each farmer
with in 22 months time.
The total cost of look-after and transportation of five bee
boxes was about Rs 8500 during the same period. This gives a
net profit of Rs 21,924 to each farmer from five bee boxes.
This kind of profit is equivalent to an earning from 6 acres
of wheat crop, 21/2 acres of cotton crop and 5 acres of rice
crop. The farmers are planning to increase their bee colonies
and some farmers are planing to make new boxes and sell those
to interested farmers.
Food Security Programme (Phase-I) was launched by Ministry of
Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) in collaboration with
the provinces of Punjab, NWFP and Sindh.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
provided financial assistance for it in response to World Food
Summit Plan of Action, 1996. Initially, it is a pilot
project for two years but likely to continue in other
villages, districts and provinces of the country during its
expansion phase with the financial assistance of multilateral
donors and federal and provincial Governments.
November 21, 2001
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