PESHAWAR  - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BoIT) is making concerted efforts for introduction of modern methods to improve yields of various crops/staple-fruits, as well as modernisation of agriculture system in the province.
For the purpose, the board has undertaken measures for setting up a modern Date Farming and processing Unit at D. I. Khan. A piece of land, measuring 1000 acres, has been identified for investors to establish a state-of-art date farming and processing unit at in DI Khan, with operational capacity of 50 tons per day for 1000 acre (25 tons per day for 500 acres), said KP-BoIT vice chairman, Senator Mohsin Aziz, in a statement issued here on Tuesday. He elaborated the project, which initiated in collaboration with provincial Agriculture Department, has been divided in two project, approximately 500 acre each, which could enable to improve yield and home-grown dates from the local farms. He furthermore said that the proposed/identified land will be provided to investors for period of 30 years lease, extendable for further period for initiation of the project.
He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is blessed with high quality date producing areas, mainly south regions, like D.I.Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat and Bannu. He said the dates as one of the most important cash crops, because country ranked amongst top-ten date-exporting countries.
Regarding the significance of the project, Aziz said the board under patronage of provincial government, has achieved milestones, which is providing facilitation services under one-window operation, to local as well as foreign investors, and striving to attract investment in the province. He said the establishment of date farming and processing unit, is one of the step towards modernisation of agriculture sector.
The project, he maintained, had conceived and identified land with support of provincial agriculture department in D.I.Khan, could play pivotal role in yielding production of special variety of dates. He furthered stated the project would open vista-of business and employment opportunities. He said the cleaning, hygienic processing and packing of the home-grown dates also main featured of the project. Also, he said the buying from the nearing market would provide a great business opportunity.
The board vice chairman expressed the hope that the project will not only provide modern processing facility, technical know-how and other modern methods to Date-famers, but it would also reduce post harvesting losses at optimal level.