Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

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12 N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E M A N A G E M E N T have resulted in the impoverishment of farmers and of rural areas. To rectify the situation, the Task Force r e c o m m e n d e d : ■ establishing an Agri-business Investment Board to promote and facilitate the development of agribusiness in the rural areas; ■ constituting an Agricultural Coordination Committee of the Cabinet for the consideration of all matters relating to agriculture; ■ improving the current price support policy to ensure a higher rate of return on investment than the bank mark-up rate; ■ continuing the procurement of all market surplus commodities in the post-harvest season, and establishing a stabilization fund to support procurement; and ■ removing export duties on agricultural commodities. Though most of these recommendations (since approved by the Cabinet) pertain to the Government of Pakistan, the Government of NWFP could consider doing the following: ■ enabling the Institute of Development Studies of the NWFP Agricultural University to conduct research on issues of agricultural economics and policy; ■ creating such a capability in the FAL&C Department for upgrading the Economics and Marketing Unit under the Director-General Agriculture Extension, and staffing the positions created with persons qualified in agricultural economics and marketing; ■ creating positions for agricultural economists in important research institutes and stations; ■ seeking opportunities for advanced education abroad in agricultural economics and marketing; and ■ commissioning a review of Government policies that discriminate against agriculture, such as provincial and district controls on prices. 1 2 . 4 . 4 S t reamlining the Agricultural Marketing Infrastru c t u re The marketing infrastructure for agricultural commodities is generally weak. There is only one regulated market in the province, and physical facilities for 142 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY wholesale markets are poor. On-farm and off-farm storage capacity is limited. Grading and packaging is primitive, and processing facilities are few. A major initiative is needed to improve the marketing infrastructure for agriculture. To remedy the situation, the Government of NWFP should consider commissioning a study on agricultural marketing in the NWFP, preparing projects for implementing the recommendations of the report, and upgrading the existing Economics and Marketing unit in the FAL&C Department, including staffing it with persons qualified in the subject. 1 2 . 4 . 5 I m p roving Small Farmers’ Access to Institutional Cre d i t Access to institutional credit is mainly handicapped by the low amount available, the collateral required, the lengthy procedure for obtaining loans, and the failure of loans reaching small farmers due to malpractices in the system. Credit obtained for agriculture is also often misused for non-productive purposes. To remove these difficulties, the Prime Minister’s Task Force decided to increase the allocation for institutional credit from 5% of agricultural gross national product in 1991-92 to 15%, and to issue pass books to all farmers, required by the Loans for Agricultural Purposes Act 1973, within two years so that they could be produced as evidence of collateral while obtaining loans. The Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee has decided that nationalized banks will disburse agricultural credit under a supervised agricultural credit scheme. This will greatly reduce the misuse of credit for non-productive purposes. Small farmers’ access to institutional credit can be greatly increased by mobilizing cooperatives, encouraging existing community-based, interest-based organizations, and promoting the creation of new ones. It will also be improved by having the Government of NWFP consider following up the implementation of the decisions of the Prime Minister’s Task Force and the Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee. The Government should also commission a study on agricultural credit in the NWFP, to determine its adequacy and recommend measures for improving it.
1 2 . 4 . 6 P reventing the Expropriation of Ve ry Good to Moderate Quality Agricultural Land As already stated, the NWFP only has about 1.38 million hectares of very good to moderate quality agricultural land capable of being farmed sustainably and providing economic returns on investment. This is a priceless resource for present and future generations of the NWFP; it is irreplaceable once it is lost. But a considerable portion of this resource is being lost annually to urban development and the establishment of industries. Sustainable development of agriculture demands that such conversion be stopped immediately; otherwise, the province would be faced with the impossible situation of meeting its rapidly increasing food needs from an ever dwindling resource base. A number of measures can be taken to discourage the use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes: ■ a Geographical Information System study should be commissioned to determine the area of cultivated land lost annually to urban and industrial uses; ■ Government projects such as new townships and industrial estates should not be located on arable land; ■ private conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses should be discouraged by law. Towards this end, existing legislation and its enforcement should be examined and strengthened, if needed; and ■ the quality of land to be used for establishing an industry or executing any other major project will be indicated in environmental impact assessments, and the use of agricultural land should be considered as an adverse impact. 1 2 . 4 . 7 Reducing the Hazards of Agricultural Pesticides Use Pesticides are poisonous substances with wide-ranging adverse effects on people and animals. They may be ingested, through ignorance or accident, or N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E M A N A G E M E N T 12 absorbed through the skin by farm workers spraying or working in freshly sprayed fields. Also at risk are consumers who may eat fruit and vegetable with pesticide residues (Mohammadullah, 1994). There has been no regular, systematic monitoring of the effects of pesticides on human health in Pakistan. What exists is research that has documented pesticide residues in foodstuffs, and in soil and groundwater (Jabbar and Mallik, 1994). Though no such studies have been conducted in the NWFP, there is anecdotal evidence of village children dying from the accidental ingestion of pesticides. Another adverse effect of the inappropriate use of pesticides is the apparent emergence of pesticide-resistant pest strains. Since the cessation of aerial spraying of sugarcane, the average annual consumption of pesticides in the NWFP has come down from about 420 tonnes during 1984-87 to about 241 tonnes. Of the pesticides used in the NWFP during 1992, about 4% were chlorinated substances; 52% were organophosphates; 23%, carbonates; 8%, pyrethroids; 7%, herbicides; and 6% were hydrocarbon fungicides (Pakistan Agriculture Book, 1993). Since May 1993, the use of chlorinated pesticides has been banned in Pakistan because of their long residual effect. But organophosphates are still in use, even though they are more toxic to vertebrates than chlorinated pesticides. The same with pyrethroids: they are the least toxic to mammals, but they are highly toxic to bees and fish. The Agricultural Pesticides Ordinance 1971, amended in 1991 and 1994, and the Agricultural Pesticides Rules 1973 regulate the import, manufacture, formulation, sale, distribution, and use of pesticides. Although a breach of their provisions is punishable by imprisonment up to seven years and a fine of upto Rs. 1 million, the penalties have seldom been invoked in the NWFP due to the absence of a mechanism for their enforcement. Two views about pesticides are generally current in the NWFP. One is that a considerable quantity of hazardous, expired, inferior pesticides are being smuggled into Pakistan, and that farmers are using large quantities of such ‘camp pesticides’. The other view is that farmers are very discriminating in the SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY 143
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Cover credit: Faces that represent
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The Sarhad Provincial Conservation
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iv SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION S
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vi SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION S
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viii SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y mit
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y Lin
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and are viewed not as producers but
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y tat
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y tow
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most effective vehicles for promoti
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y tex
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12 E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y
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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y a m
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2 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION ST
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The Public Consultation Process of
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1 I N T R O D U C T I O N The North
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8 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION ST
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2 2.1 I S S U E S & T R E N D S I N
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2 I S S U E S & T R E N D S I N S U
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2 I S S U E S & T R E N D S I N S U
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16 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION S
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3 3 . 1 R E S P O N D I N G T O T H
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3 R E S P O N D I N G T O T H E I S
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3 R E S P O N D I N G T O T H E I S
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4 4 . 1 T O W A R D S T H E S A R H
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4 T O W A R D S T H E S A R H A D P
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4 4.5 THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCE
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Unsustainable Population Growth 71
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Forestry 133 Eliminating Political
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10.3 Average Concentration of Carbo
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5 5 . 1 G O A L S , O B J E C T I V
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6 G O V E R N A N C E & C A P A C I
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6 A similar situation persists in t
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6 from polythene bags. Consumer cho
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6 6 . 1 2 G O V E R N A N C E & C A
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7 P O V E R T Y A L L E V I A T I O
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7 7 . 1 . 2 P O V E R T Y A L L E V
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7 in cropping patterns and intensit
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7 public concern about poverty alle
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7 their role in development, combin
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8 8 . 1 N O N - G O V E R N M E N T
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8 would focus on social welfare pro
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8 organized. Institutions like FRC
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8 Substantial development activitie
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Page 212 and 213: 15 The first three chapters in Part
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16 1 6 . 5 . 2 I N S T I T U T I O
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16 the NEQS will require engaging t
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17 1 7 . 1 F I N A N C I N G SPCS,
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17 For the purpose of the plan, env
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17 F I N A N C I N G PROJECT COST F
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17 F I N A N C I N G 202 SARHAD PRO
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17 F I N A N C I N G 1 7 . 4 . 5 Co
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18 A S S E S S I N G P R O G R E S
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B I B L I O G R A P H Y Government
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B I B L I O G R A P H Y Sandlund, e
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Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

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