International Trade Centre (ICT), a subsidiary of the World Bank, has joined hands with All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchants Association (PFVA) to boost horticulture and livestock sectors in Sindh & Balochistan.
ICT, in collaboration with the PFVA would make the recently launched project "Growth for Rural Advancement & Sustainable Progress (GRASP) a real success" and PFVA will assist ICT for supporting small & medium enterprises in development of the Horticulture & livestock sectors in Sindh & Balochistan provinces.
A delegation of the ICT led by Robert Skidmore, Chief of Section & Enterprise Competitive Section met the Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed & former Chairman Aslam Pakhali of the PFVA during its recent visit to the Association office.
Waheed Ahmed and senior members of the Association apprised the delegation of ICT about a six year "GRASP" Project under financial assistance would be extended to small farmers of Agribusiness & livestock sector in Sindh & Balochistan for promotion of their small scale businesses.
The project is funded by the delegation of the European Union to Pakistan with a budget of Euro 48,000,000. This Project would ensure provision of congenial business environment to small farmers besides providing grants and technical assistance for improving value chain, yield, quality, access to market Information and improvement in standards.
Waheed said that the growers of Sindh & Balochistan are getting badly affected due to Global Warming, scarcity of water and issues of supply chain due to which the rate of poverty is relatively higher in these provinces. The "GRASP" project of the ICT is a need of hour to improve businesses of the small farmers and it is a true replica of the "Pakistan Horticulture Vision -2030," he added.
According to the PFVA vision 2030, if food security is not improved in Pakistan, national security would be in jeopardy, however if the policies are formulated and implemented in accordance with the vision 2030 , the agriculture production would be substantially enhanced leading to increase in GDP volume, multiplication in export and poverty alleviation. The current deplorable state of supply chain needs a definite improvement to uplift the local market, Waheed emphasized.
For getting amazing results from the "GRASP" project in Sindh & Balochistan, it was imperative to start pilot project at the district level so that after analyzing outcome of the pilot project on experimental basis, it should be further extend, he suggested.
For success of the project, he said that, it's imperative that the international experts being part of this project must keep in view ground realities, culture, local customs & traditions of Sindh & Balochistan provinces.
The farmers may have their limited vision and views about a particular issue and the PFVA having its root in all the provinces of the country is not only well versed with problems of the small farmers but also has through knowledge and adequate experience about supply chain, local & International markets. Hence, PFVA would extend assistance, support and cooptation to the ICT in this context.
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