KP to reform agricultural development fund, expand digital services for farmers

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Agriculture Mian Muhammad Umar on Monday said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was introducing reforms in the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) and expanding the use of digital technology to improve agricultural services and support farmers across the province.
He was speaking while chairing a meeting on the performance, challenges and proposed reforms of the Agricultural Development Fund, a handout said,
The meeting was attended by Director General Agriculture Extension Dr Naveed, Director General Agriculture Services Academy Murad Ali and other officials of the agriculture department.
Officials briefed the meeting on the fund’s financial resources, seed production, storage and processing facilities, as well as mechanisms for supplying quality seeds to farmers.
Mr Umar said the Agricultural Development Fund would be modernised and its administrative, financial and operational capacities strengthened to better serve the needs of the agricultural sector.
The meeting also reviewed challenges facing the fund, including a shortage of modern processing machinery and limited human resources.
Later, while presiding over a separate review meeting on the agriculture department’s digital reforms, the adviser said the use of modern technology was bringing significant improvements to agricultural extension services.
He said farmers were being provided timely information on weather forecasts, crop management, disease control and government support schemes through a call centre, web portal, mobile application, SMS alerts and telephone services.
Mr Umar said the provincial government was committed to making the Agricultural Development Fund more efficient, self-sustaining and responsive to modern requirements, while further promoting digital technologies to ensure farmers have access to up-to-date agricultural information.