So what's the problem?
The District of Batagram of the North West Frontier Province in northern Pakistan was badly affected by the devastating earthquake of October 2005. The average monthly household income here is only 1,500 Pakistani Rupees (about £11 or $20) and around three quarters of the population are living below the poverty line. Communities have been put under enormous strain as families struggle even to provide enough food for themselves.
What is this project doing?
CABI trained 40 farmers in Allai, a subdivision of Batagram, to become “master trainers”. These newly trained teachers are then each teaching farmers about the beneficial insects that can contribute to plant protection, how to use chemical fertilisers safely and efficiently and nutrient management such as the use of self-produced compost. Farmers will also be empowered to think for themselves and make their own decisions rather than follow generic instructions. Other learning points include new techniques such as line and ridge sowing, hoeing and weed management to improve crop production and many of these are taught through hands-on activities to demonstrate the techniques.
Results so far
This is the first time that this type of training has been made available in the Batagram district and there has been an extremely positive response from the farmers. The schools compared the traditional maize cultivation techniques with modern ones to highlight the differences and help prove to the farmers that they can achieve increased productivity.
Project reports
Final project report
Project Manager
Qamar Zia
Address: Opposite 1-A, Data Gunj Baksh Road, Satellite Town, P.O. Box 8, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92 (0)51 9290 332
Email: q.zia@cabi.org
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