LAKKI MARWAT - Experts have declared soil conservation inevitable for sustenance of human beings and development of agriculture sector, saying that besides boosting agriculture, the soil conservation is also helpful for making farmer community economically prosperous.
They were speaking at an orientation session of Prime Minister National Agriculture Emergency Programme at model farm service centre in district headquarters complex Tajazai the other day. Growers from different parts of the district attended the session. Experts included former director generals of soil conservation department Yousaf Bangash and Jehanzeb Khan and district soil conservation officer Nazir Ahmad Khan.
They said that the programme was aimed to boost agriculture, reduce erosion and improve lives of poor farmers.
“Under national agriculture emergency programme, the government has allocated Rs14 billion for soil conservation projects,” said a speaker, adding that soil conservation enables farmers to make better use of agricultural land, get good crops and enhanced yield.
He also shed light on various methods to save agricultural lands from erosion and damages of flash floods and rainwater and said that prevention of soil loss was directly linked to the prosperity of growers. Jehanzeb Khan said that the government would build small dams, ponds, retaining walls and terraces in mountainous areas and would also launch plantation to conserve soil and lands from damages of floods.
Speakers said that projects aiming to conserve soil would be completed under public private partnership to promote sense of ownership among farmers and educate them about their responsibilities to look after those projects.
Later in a question answer session, they briefed farmers about levelling of fields, use of manure, soil conservation methods, better use of floodwater and ploughing methods.
