By Mazullah Khan
BUNER: Farmers received modern onion seed thresher and field implements in a bid to strengthen their seed production activities in a handing over ceremony for Onion Seed Thresher and Field Tools at Shuga Seed Village on August 16, 2016.
Besides, large number of farmers, representatives from Agriculture Research Institute Mingora, Swat and Magnus Kahl Pakistan (a private seed company) participated in the event along with the representatives of print and electronic media.
On the occasion, Dr. Muhamad Abdur Rauf, Director, ARI Mingora welcomed the participants and said that Malakand division in general and district Bunir in particular was poverty stricken area and equipping the farming community of the area with modern machinery and field tools, especially growers of Shuga Seed Village, would enhance their production capacity. He hoped that the farmers would produce more seed with crops diversification.
President Shuga Seed Village Mian Zada, thanked the officials of WorldVeg for fulfilling their long standing need of onion seed thresher and modern field equipments. “The availability of the modern tools will save our money and time, which will be spent on okra seed production and managing other crops,” he said.
Mazullah Khan, a Vegetable Seed Specialist, WorldVeg-Pakistan said that with the provision of onion seed thresher and modern field tools, Shuga Seed Village entered in the arena of field mechanization. “They will now produce seed with reduced cost as manual seed threshing is exorbitantly expensive and consequently their income will get enhanced,” he said, adding, “This was their longstanding need and demand which was fulfilled by Agriculture Innovation Programme/World Vegetable Center (WolrdVeg), Pakistan.”
He further said that onion seed thresher would save them Rs.120-130/kg seed and the time saved would be used growing and managing other crops.
Dr. Mansab Ali, Team Leader, WorldVeg-Pakistan said that they were supporting Shuga farmers with onion mother bulbs, seed, fertilizers and pesticides for reducing their production cost and would also support them in future till the project’s life. The farmers were imparted trainings which would be continued, especially in disease and pest management. They would also be provided with modern pouches for packing. “The modern field tools will improve farmer’s work efficiency and onion seed thresher will reduce their production cost, improve their efficiency. The WorldVeg will fully support them in future also,” he said.
However, he stressed on the farmers that they should increase their production capacity and include other crops in their seed production programme also.
It is pertinent to share that Shuga was declared as Seed Village by AIP/WorldVeg on February, 25, 2016. The association was offered onion seed thresher and modern field implements to strengthen it in the wake of Seed Village establishment.
At the end, the onion seed thresher and field implements were handed over to 18 members of the Association and a practical demonstration of thresher was also made to see its performance. The ceremony was followed by a small exhibition pertaining to postharvest (onion drying), which was highly appreciated by the participants.
Mazullah Khan is a Vegetable Seed Specialist at World Vegetable Center-Pakistan. He can be reached by his Email: Mazullah.khan@worldveg.org
