FAO introduces tunnel-farming in tribal districts

PESHAWAR: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has introduced tunnel-farming in tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It is part of the efforts to promote effective-modern ways of agricultural production in the wide-range climate of the region with the support of USAID, said a press release. Seventy-five walk-in tunnels were installed in Khyber, South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Orakzai districts. The activities were initiated before the onset of Covid-19, and as such provided a welcome and timely relief to local farmers. They can now enjoy the harvest at a time when their lives and livelihoods have been disrupted due to the lockdown.

These farmers were provided walk-in tunnel structures, high quality certified vegetable seeds that were cultivated and are now ready to be harvested. This activity is part of a restoring subsistence and promoting modern commercial agriculture programme in the tribal districts. It is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture enterprise development, establishing market structures and services, developing value chains, expanding markets, and building capacity of the farmers, both men and women.

The FAO steered off and on-job trainings for the farmers and arranged external exposure visits before Covid-19 onset, to introduce them to the tunnel farming. The familiarization with modern technology targets capacity-building and increased profitability from agricultural activities. Now during coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown also in the province, producing and harvesting vegetables under tunnels will enable farmers to have enough agri-produces for a diversified diet for self-consumption as well as for selling in their neighborhoods and local markets.