190 tractors donated to Nangarhar farmers

JALALABAD (PAN): Up to 190 tractors were donated to farmers from four districts of eastern Nangarhar province for cultivating oil producing crops, officials said on Tuesday.

Besides the tractors, 60 farmers and businessmen from Rodat, Batikot, Sorkhrod and Behsud districts were provided a 14-day training workshop under the Rural Business Support Programme (RBSP), agriculture, irrigation and livestock director, Mohammad Husain Safi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said the donation and the workshop were aimed at encouraging farmers to grow sunflower, soybean, oilseed rape, and cotton crops in their fields. An oil processing factory had already been established in the Sorkhrod district, he added.

The RBSP Head Mohammad Alam Alami told participants of the workshop that the tractors had been donated by Japan as part of the agriculture ministry programme to facilitate farmers.

"Such programmes and assistance are essential for the development of the agriculture sector," a participant of the workshop, Rafullah Rahimzai, said. He said they would practically use what they learnt during the workshop.

myn/ma