Sustainable Potato Farming in Mountainous Agriculture: Empirical Evidence from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abdul Hassan^1, , Fazli Wahab², Muhammad Ishaq³, Miftahuddin Miftahuddin² and Arshad Farooq¹

¹PARC Social Sciences Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar

²Directorate of Agriculture Research (Merged Districts), Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar

³Social Sciences Division, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad

Cite this paper:
Abdul Hassan, Fazli Wahab, Muhammad Ishaq, Miftahuddin Miftahuddin and Arshad Farooq. Sustainable Potato Farming in Mountainous Agriculture: Empirical Evidence from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. American Journal of Rural Development. 2023; 11(1):1-8. doi: 10.12691/ajrd-11-1-1

Abstract

Potato cultivation in mountains has the potential to improve food security and provide income for the households. This article open-up the initial results of a project interventions to ensure availability of virus free seed potatoes to the farmers of merged districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and down country, to generate livelihood opportunities for local populations through creation of potato seed industry and to increase farmers’ earnings through increase in potato production using disease free certified seed potato. The study analyzed the effect of training imparted for skill development, improvement in potato production and potato produce from improved seed was used for further seed multiplication. A total of 69 project beneficiary farmers were interviewed through pretested questionnaire from two districts (Kurram and Orakzai) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The farmers selected for seed potato crop cultivation were young, educated and well experienced. Farmers cultivated potato crop for earning more profit. The farmers liked high yielding varieties of seed potato crop introduced by the project. Agriculture Research Institute of the area is the main source of information/knowledge and potato seed. Farmers were satisfied from the knowledge they gained during the training and enthralled with training organization and management. The most important effect of the training was knowledge of crops outlook. The cultivation of seed potato crop in the area was found profitable, however, there was more potential for increasing seed potato production in the area. Local market traders were the main buyers of the majority of seed potato produced. The study suggests to continue the program along with introduction of trial based technologies applicable and varieties suitable to socio-econ-psycho-and climatic conditions of the area. Potato crop variety SM Kaghan along with diversified production system needs to be promoted in the area. More research was needed for understanding the behavior of market channels of seed potato crop.

Keywords:
Potato seed technology mountains Pakistan

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