ISLAMABAD: With the objective of enhancing the capacity of farmers in the merged districts to promote the cultivation of alternative crops and eradicating illicit crops and other drug-related crimes, four agriculture training centres have been established in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

With funding from the US Embassy Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the training centres have been established by the UNDP Pakistan Rule of Law Programme in partnership with the Sustainable Development Unit of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Planning and Development Department in the districts ofBajaur, Khyber, Mohmand, and Torghar.

Inaugurated on Thursday, these centres will facilitate the training of the local farmers on the cultivation of alternative crops in the merged districts, where the cultivation of poppy predominates. Alternatively, crop cultivation will create opportunities for income diversification, gradually diminishing the prevalence of any illicit activities associated with narcotics in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The training at ATCs will include skill-building sessions on timely land preparation, planting, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, storage, and marketing.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2023