Peshawar – Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Agriculture Mian Muhammad Umar on Monday chaired a meeting of the Agriculture Department where detailed discussion held regarding the performance of various wings of Agriculture department, ongoing reforms, future plans and challenges being faced by the sector.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Agriculture Dr Bakhtiar Khan, Special Secretaries, Directors General of various wings of Agriculture Department and other relevant officials. During the meeting, Advisor Agriculture was given detailed briefings on affairs of different wings of department including Agriculture Extension, Agricultural Research, On-Farm Water Management and Soil Conservation. He was also informed about departmental activities, development projects and ongoing reform initiatives.
Addressing the meeting, Mian Umar directed the authorities to further improve performance of Bureau of Agriculture Information and said the institution should provide effective awareness to farmers regarding agricultural practices, modern farming techniques, climate change, crop management and government agricultural initiatives so that farmers could benefit from updated agricultural knowledge.
He said that transparency remained top priority of the Agriculture Department and emphasized that merit, accountability and an effective system would be ensured in all matters. He also directed the Directors General to strengthen coordination with districts and adopt a comprehensive strategy for resolving issues at field level.
Umar said that we would work day and night for the improvement of Agriculture Department and welfare of farmers, while achieving better results through effective utilization of available resources. He instructed officials to carefully listen to farmers’ issues, suggestions and complaints and take practical measures for their resolution.
The meeting also discussed several important matters related to the development of agriculture sector, including promotion of saffron cultivation, use of bio-fertilizers, reducing use of pesticides and encouraging environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Various projects under Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2025–26 were also reviewed.
Advisor Agriculture expressed concern over establishment of housing societies on agricultural land and stated that the protection of farmland was essential. He said effective preventive measures and policy matters in this regard would be examined seriously.
The meeting was further briefed on ongoing reforms in the Agriculture Department, transparency in transfers and postings, Performance Management System, smart attendance mechanism, Farm Services Centres, revision of Smart Agriculture Policy and challenges faced by the department.
Mr Umar reaffirmed his commitment to making the Agriculture Department more active, transparent and farmer-friendly in order to achieve agricultural development and ensure prosperity of farmers across the province.
