Australia to grant AUD 1.2m for inclusive rural regional transformation in Pakistan

February 18, 2020: Mr Ahmad Hanif Orakzai, Acting Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan and Prof. Andrew Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Center for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) signed Memorandum of Subsidiary Agreement on “Understanding the Drivers of Successful and Inclusive Rural Regional Transformation and Sharing Experiences and Policy Advice in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and Pakistan”.

Under this agreement, Australia will provide AUD 1.2 million for a programme to be completed in three years till 2022.

The objective of the programme is to understand the nature, divers and consequences of rural transformation in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and Pakistan. Expanding urbanization is putting pressure on land, labour and other resources for higher productivity.

Rural transformation is the process by which an agricultural system transforms over time from being subsistence to commercialized and market-oriented farming. Many countries have reached different stages of rural transformation with varying speeds and outcomes of rural transformation.

Shares of the population in rural areas remain high in China (43%) and Indonesia (46%) and even higher in Pakistan (61%) and Bangladesh (65%), (The average share for developing countries globally is (58%). The project will examine the Chinese model of rural transformation and try to understand the nature of its success and lesions for countries with similar challenges.

The Secretary, Economic Affairs Division thanked the Australian Government for extending its continuous support to the Government of Pakistan in its efforts towards the development of the agricultural sector of the country.

Press Release