UNIDO funded Agro-food, Agro-industry project to be launched in August

Jul 18, 2019: The Country Representatives of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Nadia Aftab on Thursday said that 'Agro-Food and Agro-Industry Development Project' in Pakistan worth US$5.2 million would be commenced by the next month (August).

The project aims at strengthening the cattle meat and apple value chains, through the introduction of new techniques of productivity enhancement as well as by building the capacities of livestock farmers and growers, which would improve the livelihood of farmers and reduce rural poverty.

While talking to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan, she apprised the minister that Agro-Food and Agro-Industry Development in Pakistan and subsequent funding by Japan, which is US$5.2 million has been approved by the concerned quarters and be launched by the first week of next month.

The project, she said has been developed by UNIDO in consultation with Ministry of National Food Security and Research, provincial agriculture departments for the development of agriculture, livestock, dairy and fishery value chain.

She said that the project starting from Gilgit-Baltistan would further spread to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan for the development of agriculture and livestock sectors by strengthening cattle meat farming and apple value chains.

The UNIDO Representative said that two pronged approach for inception and implementation will be adopted to execute mutually agreed activities after a consultative process to address the issues of value chain for dried and fresh fruit vegetables, oil and oilseed, livestock, dairy, fisheries trout farming with piloting of new interventions with the involvement of relevant department at provincial level as well as the institutions.

The minister while appreciating the initiative of UNIDO said that government has launched Prime Minister’s agriculture emergency program and livestock is one of the major projects in order to enhance the productivity of major crops, livestock development, aquaculture and water conservation.

The minister said that in KPK the process of Foot and Mouth Disease free zones identification is also in progress and UNIDO may also collaborate as it is focusing on KPK meat markets.He said that Pakistan and UNIDO started collaboration for formulating the Country Program Framework (CPF) for inclusive and sustainable agriculture development and thereby achieve food safety and Security.

APP