Fruit plants distributed in Newly Merged Districts including female farmers

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in close collaboration with the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) distributed fruit plants among 100 households (HHs), including 30 female farmers in Newly Merged Districts.

The fruit plants were distributed in the selected tribal districts of Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, and Torghar. These plants were distributed under the U.S. Embassy Islamabad’s Bureau of International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INL) -funded initiative of Alternative Livelihoods through High Value Crops in ex-FATA and KP (ALOP). Through this project, FAO has been promoting plantation of alternative high-value horticultural crops for replacing cultivation of the illicit crops.

In total, FAO distributed 8,910 fruits plants of improved varieties including 1,600 apples, 2,800 apricots, 400 cherries, 1,950 citrus, and 2,160 plums. Considering the scarcity of irrigation water in the target areas, FAO will also install drip irrigation systems in the said orchards for increased efficiency of the available water. This measure will increase production of high value fruits in the target areas and set good basis for farmers to replicate the demonstrated model of shift to alternative livelihood options.

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Under this project, FAO has been supporting farmers along different value chains of high-value crops for increasing their incomes and improving their access to on-farm/off-farm livelihood opportunities, leading to sustainable local economic growth. The project is also capacitating farmers and allied institutions to sustain benefits under a comprehensive capacity building plan. The fruit plants distribution drive took place from March 5 to March 11, 2022.

“The partnership between INL and FAO has enabled 6,752 households to successfully cultivate alternative high-value crops and increase their incomes through better marketing and value addition. FAO is highly committed to upscale the validated best practices which are piloted in the target districts with the support of the American people”, said Farrukh Toirov, the Deputy FAO Representative in Pakistan.

U.S. government is proud to partner with FAO and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to reduce poppy cultivation by providing fruit orchards to households in the newly merged districts with access to diversified livelihood opportunities to prevent illicit crop production. This project ensured farmers vulnerable to poppy cultivation, to have access to high-value licit crop cultivation opportunities that promote a more secure and prosperous Pakistan, said Mark Tervakoski, the Director INL in Pakistan.