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Company Spot light
Agri Biotech
Agriculture Biotechnologies Pakistan (pvt.) Ltd
INTRODUCTION
Overwhelming majority of rural population in Pakistan
comprises small farmers, landless tenants or farm labourers
living in abject poverty. They are poor, illiterate and
disorganized and are therefore deprived of their due share in
the national prosperity.
on the other hand, they are subjected to high-handedness of
the God-forsaken landlords, who usurp their legitimate rights.
Besides, they
also suffer at the hands of government officials who extract
illegal gratification even for delivering their lawful rights.
On the top of it, they are frequently involved in false cases,
maligned and manhandled by the police. Being disorganized,
they cannot raise their voice effectively. Consequently, they
have practically no share in power structure. They lack
financial resources to adopt high cost modem
agricultural technology with the result that their crop yields
are very low.
The challenge, of alleviating the poverty of this poorest of
the poor class in particular and ameliorating the agriculture
community in general, has been accepted by the Kisan Board
Pakistan.
The
methodology is to organise the 75% of the population depending
purely on agriculture into a pressure group, capable of
launching movement to uphold the national interest i.e a
prosperous Pakistan. Kisan Board looks after the
welfare of the Industrial sector and expects to play a
positive role in the progress of agriculture.
INCEPTION & REGISTRATION
Kisan Board Pakistan was founded as a corporate body in early
sixties and was registered in February 1986 under the
Societies Registration (Act xxi 1860). It is a non-government,
non-political and non profit-making welfare organization.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
Kisan Board is dedicated to serve the interest of forming
community and its objectives are as under:-
1 To promote the interests of the farmers by organizing their
associations in the villages and federate them at the Tehsil,
District, Divisional, Provincial and Federal
levels.
2- To participate actively in R&D programmes in rural areas
sponsored by Government and other national and international
agencies.
3 To make organized efforts to help, promote moral, social and
other higher values in the rural society and eradicate social
evils, immoral habits and customs from the rural society so
that the people can live in harmony with mutual trust,
goodwill, cooperation and social justice.
4 To influence government policies for the alotment of
stateland to the small farmers with land holding below
subsistance level and landless share cropers in the village.
5- To arrange interest-free production loans fbr the formers
and to help in the remission of interest on the outstanding
credits as envisaged by religion.
6- To strive for the improvment of marketing system presently
based on expJoitation of formers by the middlemen.
7- To ensure involvement of farmers in the agricultural
policy-making process and secure their representation on
various committees constituted by the government.
8- To help to solve problems concerning WAPDA. Revenue &
Irrigation departments & other agencies concerned with the
supply of inputs including seeds,
fertilizer and pesticides.
9- To publish useful literature for providing latest technical
information on various aspects of farming.
Membership
Any person who depends on agriculture for his livelihood.
regardless of the size of holding, can become a member of
Kisan Board, Landless tenants, share-croppers and artisans in
a village can also acquire the membeship of Kisan Board
regardless of any caste, creed, religion or political
affiliation.
There is a nominal membership fee. but the applications for
membership are approved by the local representatives.
ORGANIZATION
The Kisan Board Pakistan is organized on "bottom-to-top"
principle starting at the grass roots. Its organizational
structure is briefly described under:
Village Level Organization (V.L.O)
The basic unit of Kisan Board is the village organisation
(V.L-0). Where at least five farmers agree with the objectives
of the Board. They organize to form a local unit which is
called the Village Level Organization of the Board. They elect
a President
and a Secretary, who are inducted into office for a period of
one year with the approval of the District President of the
Kisan Board.
Where the membership of the V.L.O. exceeds twenty members the
organization is encouraged to constitute a village 'Panchayat"
for setting the local disputes through conciliation and
arbitration.
The V.L.O formulates and implements community development
programmes like improvement of sewerage system, provision of
electricity, establishment of schools for boys and girls,
opening of village shops of inputs like seed, fertilizer and
pesticides
known as "Falahi Markaz of the Board", arranging interest free
loans, soil testing facilities & information on new farm
technology etc. The V.L.O also arranges meeting lecture,
cassetts and video
narrow eastings for promotion understanding of ethics and
present day socio-economic realities, creates good will among
various sects and tribes of the village population, stresses
on eliminating of the factional feuds. Through persuasion,
public
pressure and personal influence it succeeds in getting most of
the problems solved locally without greasing the palms of
corrupt government officials of irrigation, revenue and police
department
Union Council Organizaiton. (U.C.LO).
The President and Secretaries of the V-L.O's, with the
approval of the District President and by general consensus
elect a Chairman and a Secretary at the union council level to
constitute Union Council Level Organisation (U.C.L.O). which
looks after the problems requiring expenditious solution at
that level.
Tnana Level Organizaiton. (T.L.O).
The Presidents and secreteries constituted by the presidents
of Union counsil level elect a president and secretary for a
thana level organization.Tehsil and District level organisations are the lower level
and
secreteries of lower level organisations in each
administrative
unit. These organisations elect their own Presidents and
Secretaries.
Provincial Level Organisation (P.L.O).
The provincial level organisation is called the Provicia!
Kisan
Board. It has a General Council and an Executive committee.
The powers of appointment or removal of the provincial
President are vested in the President of Kisan Board who
exercises these powers giving due consideration to the opinion
of the Provincial General Council. The tenure of the President
of
Provincial Kisan Board is for a period of three years.
The President of PLO may appoint one or more than one Vice
President, one General Secretary. He can also appoint
Assistant
Secretary and other office bearers with the consent of the
General Council of the PLO that is constituted of the
presidents
and secretaries of all the DLO's in the province. The
executive
committee of the provincial Kisan Board comprises of the
President, Vice president Secretary of the provincial Kisan
Board
and one member of each division nominated by the District
Presidents.
Central Level Organisation (C.L.O).
The C.L.O of the Pakistan Kisan Board is the apex body having
a Central General Council and a Central Executive Committee-
The Executive Committee comprises the President, Secretary
General. Vice Presidents. Provicial Presidents and Secretaries
and one member from each province nominated by the
President. The General Council comprises the President K.B.P
Secretary General K.B.P. Vice President of K.B.P Provincial
President, Provincial Secretaries- The divisional
representative
also enjoys the status of Divisional President.
The General Council meets at least once a year whereaffthe
Executive Committee meets at least twice a year.
ACTIVITIES.
Kisan Board Pakistan uses national press and its own monthly
magazine "The Nida-i-Kisan" (The Voice of Peasants) to
disseminate its views, highlight its demands, project problems
of
the farmers and to approach heads of different departments
concerned to solve their problems. The Kisan Board also
presents the demands and problems of farmers by tabling
questions and resolutions in the Provincial and National
Assemblies and if necessary lodge law suits in civil courts to
rectify the in)ustices done to the small farmers who do not
have
the means to raise their voice at proper forum.
Kisan Board Pakistan gets public support through personal
contacts, by holding public meetings and by peaceful
demonstrations.
ACHIEVEMENTS
1 Kisan Board has succeeded in organizing small-farmers
at the grass-root level in the villages.
2. In view of its operational net-work down to the village
level and the services rendered to the farming
community, the Kisan Board has been given
representation in the following bodies concerning
farmers affairs set-up at different levels by the
Government.
i. Agricultural Prices Commission of Pakistan.
ii. Agri-Business Relations Committee of
Pakistan.
iii. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
Islamabad.
lv. Divisional and District Agricultural Consultative
Committees throughout Pakistan.
Kisan Board is regularly consulted in the formation of
agricultural
policies by the Provincial and Federal Governments
3. Kisan Board succeeded in dissolving the monopoly in
exporting of rice and cotton by the government. Private
Sector has now been allowed to puchase rice and
cotton directly from the farmers for export which has
facilitated marketing of these two important cash
commodities at competitive rates.
4. Kisan Board once succeeded in obtaining government
acceptance of long standing farmers demand for the
option of flat or meter rate of electricity charges for the
tube-wells. It has now again been upset by a new order
in favour of meter rate charging throughout the country.In the follow up struggle in Blochistan once again got
the orders reverted for the said province Meanwhile for
the other provinces consistent efforts culminating into a
movement are being made.
5. Kisan Board arranged all Pakistan Kisan Rallies in
1986. 1990 and a National Kisan Conference in 1997
that provided an effective forum to the farmers to press
their genuine demands.
6. Kisan Board arranged farmers' training-programes with
Mobile Farm Extension Service-a joint venture of Italian
Government and Fauji Fertilizer company (FFC) of
Pakistan to acquaint the farmers with modern
agricultural technology in districts of Gujranwala &
Jehlum
7. Group training of farmers was organized at the Ayub
Agricultural Research Institute and Nuclear Institute of
Agriculture and Biology at Faisalabad,
8. Kisan Board successfully conducted campaign against
the allotment of state lands for dairy development In big
lots that could deprive large number of landless
peasants of their legitimate rights The government has
finally conceded to the demnd of Kisan Board
9. Kisan Board achieved astounding success in
rehabilitating flood-afflicted small farmers of Punjab in
1992 It enabled them to grow bumper crop over an
area of ten thousand acres during Rabi 1992-93 by
providing the destitute farmers tractor-tillage services.
certified seed of improved varieties and requisite
quantities of fertilizer at the farm gate. Moreover Board
offered Interest free loans to small farmers for wheat
crop in 1993-94 & for cotton crop in 1994-95 & 1995-96,
just reducing the cost & increasing the yield of the
produce Unprecedented feature of the Programme was
the hundred percent recovery of the loan & very very
co-operative & responsible conduct of the farmers.
10. KBP took a serious notice of the non-payments of the
farmers money to the tune of 27 billion rupees by the
sugar mills in Punjab On 10th of Feburary 1999 a
massive sit-in around the sugar mills in Punjab was
organized. It was a great success in objectives. This
was a great mass movement by the millions of farmers
which gave not only a confidence to them but also
enhanced the status of KBP,
11. On 24th of June 1999 a flooding "Kisan March" was
organised in Punjab, NWFP and Blochistan to uphold
the twenty two point agenda of the charter of Demand;
which was intact an agriculture policy formulated by the
farmers- Farmers gathered in large numbers at Tehsil
Headquarters through out the three provinces. Later on
they marched on the main roads, G.T road was the
flash point of the movement. This movement had a
great realisational effect, that is. to solve their problems,
the farmers had to depend on their collective efforts
only.
Projects
1. SERVICES & SUPPLIES AT FARM GATE
A system has been devised to ensure timely services and
supplies e.g., tractor-tillage, seed, fertilizer and
pesticides to the
small farmers at their farm gate The system wilt operate
through
the Mobile Field Officer of the K.B.P. positioned at Union
Council
level, in this connection collaboration wilh Fertilizer Import
Department Govt of Pakistan & Punjab Seed Corporation has
been agreed upon & operational mechanism is finalised,
2. ACCELERATING SUGAR CANE & SUGAR
PRODUCTIONS.
Kisan Board Pakistan has prepared a comprehensive scheme
for organising the farmers to grow sugarcane under a planned
scheme and supply their cane to the mills under a planned
programme. For this purpose K.B.P is planning to take over
sugar factories on lease and is negotiating with some
financers
to enter into Musharka with K.B-P.
3- LOAN TO LANDLESS CATTLE OWNERS.
There are nearly two million landless cattle owners who
entriely
depend on the animals for their livelihood K.B.P had drawn up
a
plan to provide balanced feed concentrates and necessary
veterinary cover on interest-free loans recoverable from the
sale
proceeds of milk and animals. This arrangement will raise
their
income considerably.
4. RURAL POULTRY PROGRAMME
Under this programme a system, rural poultry is being
organised
by providing poultry birds of good breeds, poultry feed,
vaccination cover against diseases and arranging marketing of
poultry products-
5. SERICULTURE
There are 500 thousand families living in rural areas who
neither
own a piece of land nor cattle or small ruminants They eke out
a
meager living from casual labour mainly by transplanting rice
nursery saplings or by harvesting various crops- To supplement
their income KB P is preparing viable schemes of cottage
industries like Sericulture,
K.B.P is establishing mulbery plantation from where the
landless
poor will obtain mulbery leaves for rearing silk worms. They
will
be supplied silk worm seed and their silk produce will be
marketed,
6. SEWING & KNITTING INDUSTRY.
K.B.P is also developing a programme for organising a Sewing
and Knitting System for rural women by providing them
machines on interest-free loans recoverable from their income
in
easy instalments and assist them in marketing their products.
EXECUTIVES AND OFFICE BEARERS
OF KISAN BOARD PAKISTAN.
1.sadiq khan khakwani
president K.B.P
2.Syed Ali mir shah.
senior vice president, K.B.P
3.Ch. zaheer.ud.din chatha
vice president K.B.P
4.MIAN Muhammd llyas
secretary General, K.B.P
5.muhammad yaqub saifi depty.
sec. gane ree pakistan
6.CH. NISAR AHMED (ADVOCATE)
president, K.B.P(punjab)
7.malik m. ramzan
rohani gernal sectory kissan board
punjab.
8. SAYYED ALI MIR SHAH
President Abadgur Board sindh
9. ABDUL MAJEED NIZAMANI
Senior Voice President Abadgur Board (Sindh)
10. Retd. major umer farooq
General Secretary K.B. (Sind)
11. Eng. Jahangir Khan
President K.B (NWFP)
12. AGHA TAJ MUHAMMAND
President K.B. (Blochistan)
13. Gulam Rasool Muhammand Shahi,
General Secretary k.b. (Blochistan)
FARMERS CREED
As a farmer I believe that:
1. By earning livelihood I do not indulge in a secular activity. It is rather my spiritual activity because through
it I seek the bounty of God and make responsible use of my
physical and mental capacities for which I am answerable to
God.
2. By farming I become an active participant in God's
creative activity and a co-creator with Him in the
biological realm for providing food to his creation.
3. By learning the science and art of agriculture I qualify
myself as an apprentice to God and make myself fit to
co-operate with Him in the field of food production.
4. By taking proper care of land which belongs to God and
not to man. I protect a trust of God and pass it on safely
to posterity as their source of food and nourishment and
thus do my duty to God and His creation.
5. By making insightfull use of the physical resources and
the force of nature like water, sunshine, air and rain that
God has subjugated to me and harenessed into my
service, I realize and justify my responsibility towards God
as their Master.
(Agricultural Extension in Islamic Cultural Milieu)
Contact Info
Agri Biotech Extension Service
14 KM -Multan Road Behind Unifoam Lahore, Pakistan.
(Phone # 7511506, Fax # 7511844)
email:
agrobio@ms.net.pk
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