Japan hands over locust control tools to KP govt

PESHAWAR: The government of Japan in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on Tuesday handed over locust control items to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

A press release said the ceremony was held in the federal capital under the Grant in Aid project titled “Project for the Restoration of Livelihoods in the Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.

The items handed over included 20,000 liters of insecticide, 170 battery-operated sprays pumps, 170 generator-operated spray pumps and 77 units of motorcycles for mobilization of staff of the Agriculture Extension Department for future locust control activities in the KP merged districts.

Under the project, activities like the establishment of fruit nurseries, rehabilitation of irrigation channels, and distribution of poultry packages have taken place and benefitted more than 295,000 individuals.

The provision of the locust control equipment was added so that the KP government can effectively respond to the locust attacks in future. At the handing over ceremony, Ambassador MATSUDA stated: "Japan supported Pakistan to control locust outbreak by supplying 60,000 litres of insecticide and material needed, along with financial support to farmers last year. Moreover, we are providing additional material to the KP government because we believe that preparedness and early response are essential for locust control in the near future. I hope people in this region with better-coping equipment and improved resilience skills will continue profitable farming and our cooperation will contribute to their prosperity”.

FAO representative Florence Marie Rolle stated that the support from the people of Japan was instrumental in the restoration of livelihoods in the KP merged districts and in strengthening the capacity of the Agriculture Department to cope with future disasters.

She added that FAO’s collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and JICA would be strengthened in the days ahead while with the FAO’s technical and JICA’s financial support, the Department of Agriculture will be facilitated for the provision of improved services to vulnerable people of the merged districts.

FURUTA Shigeki said the two phases of projects, funded by Japan, ensured food security through sustainable agriculture development that resumed agriculture-based livelihoods of the people who returned after internal displacement.

KP Minister for Agriculture, Mohibullah Khan, thanked the government of Japan and JICA for their support through the FAO implemented the project for the restoration of livelihoods in the merged districts.