CHARSADDA: The Agriculture Department has provided vertical farming equipment to 60 farmers as part of an initiative aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and protecting crops from the adverse impacts of climate change.
Officials said the modern cultivation method could increase vegetable production by up to four times. In the initial phase, they added the department was implementing vertical farming on two-kanal agricultural plots for 60 farmers where various vegetables were being cultivated.
The initiative is part of the “Promotion of Climate Smart Agriculture through Extension Services” programme launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department to address the growing impact of climate change on farming and to encourage farmers to adopt modern, sustainable and environmental-friendly agricultural practices.
In this regard, a ceremony was held in Charsadda attended by District Agriculture Officer Muhammad Abrar and other officials. During the event, more than 60 farmers who had completed training on vertical farming were provided agricultural tools.
Speaking on the occasion, DAO Abrar said the department had established demonstration plots of two kanals in various districts of the province under the vertical farming system to show farmers that higher and better-quality yields could be achieved even on limited land.
He said the method could increase the production of vegetables such as bitter gourd, pumpkin, ridge gourd and tomatoes by up to four times while also protecting crops to a considerable extent from the negative effects of climate change.
The official added that rising temperatures, untimely rainfall and water shortages had become major challenges for agriculture, and modern techniques like vertical farming could help farmers minimise potential losses.
Agricultural experts said vertical farming was not only an effective way to achieve higher yields on smaller land areas but also reduced the use of water and fertilizers, lowering production costs and increasing profits.They added that the technique was gaining popularity worldwide and its introduction at the local level was a positive and promising step for farmers.
