Two-year initiative aims to boost rural incomes in former FATA areas, with special focus on widows and vulnerable households
KHYBER: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Livestock Department has launched a two-year, centralised poultry promotion project in the province’s merged districts, formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), with the aim of strengthening the rural economy and reducing poverty among the most vulnerable communities.
The merged districts include areas such as Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan, which were formally integrated into KP following the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018. These regions have historically faced underdevelopment, limited livelihood opportunities and the long-term impacts of conflict.
Under the new initiative, the Livestock Department plans to establish 2,000 small-scale poultry farms across the merged districts. Officials said the project places particular emphasis on widows and impoverished families, providing them with a sustainable source of income through backyard poultry farming.
According to Director Livestock Khyber, Dr Mohammad Shakir, around 300 poultry farms will be set up in Khyber district alone over the next two years. He explained that each selected family or individual will be required to deposit Rs2,000, while receiving a poultry package that would otherwise cost around Rs15,000 in the open market.
“Each beneficiary will be provided with two roosters and ten hens, following a thorough scrutiny process,” Dr Shakir said. He added that the initiative aims to promote better poultry breeds, increase egg production and improve household nutrition alongside income generation.
The selection of beneficiaries, however, has sparked concern among some local representatives. Landi Kotal Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid raised reservations over assigning focal persons of local MNAs and MPAs the responsibility of identifying eligible families. He warned that this approach could encourage nepotism and favouritism.
Shah Khalid argued that, as a devolved subject following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the project should involve elected Kisan and women councillors, who he said were better positioned to identify genuinely deserving households at the grassroots level. He also alleged that similar development initiatives in the past had been manipulated for political gain. Despite these concerns, officials maintain that the poultry project has the potential to provide a dignified and sustainable livelihood for poor families in the merged districts, particularly women-headed households, while contributing to broader goals of rural development and poverty alleviation in KP.
