LOWER DIR: The farmers of Upper Dir district have demanded of the government to establish an agriculture research centre and arrange training workshops at community level to help them improve their crop yields.

Speaking to this correspondent, they urged the agriculture department to establish coordination with the `real representatives` of the farmers for their uplift.

Agricultural experts told Dawn that traditional cultivation modes were a big obstacle to the change in the lifestyle of farmers. They said farmers were suffering from economic hardships due to traditional farming.

Assistant director agriculture, Upper Dir, Pervez Khan said that depending on the climatic conditions, the soil in the district was suitable for growing all types of crops and fruits. He said the agriculture department was trying to convince the farmers to cultivate cash crops and vegetables using modern scientific methods.

`With the support of the World Bank, the agriculture department developed olive, walnut and Japanese fruit orchards on an area of 380 kanals in different areas last year,` he said, adding thousands of applications were received, but due to lack of funds, only 70 gardens were planted.

Mr Pervez said 3,000 bags of wheat and5,000 bags of maize seedswere given to farmers at subsidised price, thoughthe demandwasmanytimeshigher.

However, Ashfaq Mohammad, a local farmer, said they did not get seeds, fertilizer and saplings despite the fact that the agriculture department had registered them last year.

Yar Zaman Khan, a peasant councillor, complained the agriculture department was ignoring them in the distribution of seeds, fertilizer and saplings.

According to the agriculture department`s data, the Upper Dir district has a total area of 129,622 hectares, including 31,572 hectares cultivable, out of which 22,371 hectares are irrigated by canals and 9,181 hectares are rain-fed. There is a wasteland on 6,177 hectares, while forests exist on 81,323 hectares.

In the Kharif season, maize is cultivated on 6,212 hectares, rice on 4,568 hectares, various vegetables on 1,823 hectares, potatoes on 765 hectares, fruits on 512 hectares, chilies on 322 hectares, moong pulse on 232 hectares, and mash pulse on seven hectares.

Wheat is cultivated on 2,538 hectares in the Rabi season, barley on 1,500 hectares, onion on 1,725 hectares, vegetables on 227 hectares, fruit on 387 hectares, potato on 1,250 hectares, peas on five hectaresandgarlicon10 hectares.

Yahya Faqir, the country distributor of a seed company, said hybrid seeds were the best source of high yield and quality of crops. He said his company trained farmers on the cultivation of hybrid seeds at community level, and convinced them to plant vegetables in their homes. Correspondent