By Syed Shahabuddin
Swat: An open katchery was held in Swat under the supervision of Masood Ahmed, Commissioner Malakand Division, to address agricultural issues faced by farmers and landowners across the district.
The open katchery took place at the District Agriculture Extension Office in the Amankot area of Babuzai tehsil, bringing together senior district officials and representatives of relevant departments to ensure timely resolution of farmers’ concerns related to crops, irrigation, compensation and agricultural services.
The session was attended by Saleem Jan Marwat, Deputy Commissioner Swat; Arham Mukhtar; Additional Assistant Commissioner Syed Imran Ali Shah; Deputy Director Agriculture Dr Iftikhar Ahmed; and Dr Adalat Khan, along with officers from other departments. A large number of farmers and landowners participated and presented their issues directly to the administration.
During the session, the Deputy Director Agriculture briefed participants on the performance of the agriculture department in Swat, ongoing development projects, overall crop conditions, and the cultivation of olive and saffron in the district. He also outlined monitoring mechanisms for agricultural medicines and fertilisers, as well as coordination efforts with local farmers.
Farmers raised a range of issues during the open katchery, including the revision of agricultural laws, strengthening of Farm Services Centers, compensation for flood-affected crops and land, losses caused by fruit fly infestations, shortages of seeds and funds, cleaning of irrigation channels, construction of protective embankments, staff shortages, and challenges related to fruit exports.
Commissioner Masood Ahmed directed concerned officers to forward proposals regarding agricultural laws to the provincial government, facilitate compensation cases for flood-affected farmers, take timely and effective measures to control fruit fly pests, and further strengthen Farm Services Centers. He also instructed officials to ensure that all issues raised during the open katchery are addressed and to submit progress reports.
Following the session, the commissioner, along with the deputy commissioner swat and the deputy director agriculture, visited various sections of the District Agriculture Extension Office to review ongoing operations.
