PESHAWAR:USAID’s Economic Recovery and Development Activity (USAID-ERDA) takes a crucial step toward strengthening and modernizing fruit plant nursery enterprises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and its Newly Merged Districts (KP-NMDs) by signing 35 grant agreements in Peshawar.
Diverse agro-climatic conditions in KP-NMDs offer the potential for a variety of fruits, yet the fruit industry in KP and its NMDs faces obstacles due to the non-availability of true-to-type and disease-free planting material, according to a press release.
USAID-ERDA is extending in-kind support to 35 fruit plant nurseries in districts Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Dir, Orakzai, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, and Kurram.
Shad Muhammad, Chief of the Party for USAID-ERDA, highlighted the goal of the activity: “To strengthen and expand existing fruit plant nurseries enterprises, ensuring easy access for local farmers to high-quality fruit saplings.By providing in-kind support such as planting materials, lath hou
se/greenhouse establishment, and toolkits, we aim to empower the local agribusiness community and ensure easy access to the farming community to certified and diseases free planting material.”
Jan Muhammad, Director General Agriculture Extension KP, emphasized the crucial need for fruit plant nurseries, stating, “The establishment and strengthening of fruit plant nurseries are imperative for KP’s agriculture. This initiative not only addresses the current scarcity of planting material but also holds the potential to significantly boost the agricultural sector by providing local farmers with high-quality, disease-free saplings.”
Beneficiaries, like Gul Shaid Afridi and Muhammad Qayum Dir Lower, emphasized the positive impact on local communities.
Afridi stated, “This support will enhance our nursery’s capacity and contribute to disease-free planting material, fostering growth of the fruit industry.”
The project will also provide capacity building, and handholding for nursery establishment and management, a
nd will facilitate in establishing forward and backward linkages for selected grantees.
Registration with the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC and RD) is a key focus to ensure availability of certified planting material.
USAID-ERDA’s Senior Agriculture Specialist, Zia Ur Rehman, highlighted anticipated outcomes, including the promotion of the fruit industry in KP-NMDs, availability of disease-free planting material at local level, strengthening local MSMEs, and the creation of direct and indirect job opportunities.
The grant program is envisioned to motivate entrepreneurs, attract private sector investment, and contribute to the economic development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its NMDs.