The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) is working on a project to set up wholesale agri-markets in Islamabad and all provincial capitals, Business Recorder learnt on Monday. "We are studying Singapore and Indian models for setting up wholesale markets of the agri products", a senior official of Minfal said.
These markets would not only meet the domestic consumption needs but would also provide foreign exporters a window for purchasing Pakistan''s agricultural produce, he added. "The idea is to replicate the markets that exist in Singapore and India for marketing and exporting agriculture produces to the neighbouring and far away countries," the official said.
To set up the markets in the capital, the government has acquired nearly 55 acres land in the suburbs of the capital. The project would be executed under ''Agri-Business Development and Diversification Project'', an ADB (Asian Development Bank) funded project worth Rs 4.066 billion.
The project is expected to minimise post-harvest losses amounting to about $522 million yearly. The total cost of the project--Rs 4.066 billion--includes a soft loan of $31 million provided by Asian Development Bank. About 12,500 farmers will benefit from grant funding through the Agribusiness Support Fund over the project life of five years.
The project, the official said, is aimed at either eliminating or minimising the role of middlemen in the agri trading, who pocket a major chunk of the farmers'' income. "The farmers will bring their produce direct to the markets and can even trade with foreign traders and, similarly, the foreign exporters can buy directly from the farmers," he added.
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