The Directorate of Agriculture Extension has launched a pilot project to encourage and establish food processing industry in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), official sources in Ministry of States and Frontier Regions revealed on Wednesday.
The other objectives of the project launched in South Waziristan and Mohmand Agencies are to utilize agriculture produce for value addition on small scale.
Sources said that to increase Chalghuza production and create market linkages a project has been initiated in South Waziristan, North Waziristan Agencies and frontier region, Dera Ismail Khan.
The sources said that there exists a vast avenue for investment in the fields of industry, agriculture, livestock, minerals and forests in FATA and that steps are being taken to expedite process of investment in those areas.
They said huge reserves of good grade minerals like copper, silver, gold, manganese, chromite, iron ore, barite, fluorite, coal, limestone, marble, granite, emerald, garnet and aquamarine exist in these areas while the most common sedimentary formations consist of sandstone, limestone shale and conglomerates, occurring in south-west.
However, in this field further research and investigations are required and extraction of the proven reserves requires huge investment by private and public sectors, the sources said.
They said that unfortunately security situation in FATA was not fully conducive for the investors but that efforts were being made to take on-board the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to extend every possible support to geological staff deputed for further exploration of mineral deposits in FATA.
