The European Union is providing 40 million euros (Rs 4.5 billion) to combat spiralling food prices and boost agriculture production for attaining the goal of food security in the country. The farmers widely hailed the financial support provided by the European Union Food Facility (EUFU) project implementation with the technical support of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Main activities of the project include: free distribution of agricultural inputs, improvement of irrigation channels, introduction of water harvesting systems, reduction of post-harvest losses and strengthening of institutional capacity in about two and a half year, which started in August 2009.
Project Manager, EU Food Facility Project of FAO, Dr Faizul Bari said: "The first thrust was provided in Pakistan's Rabi season 2009-10, and a total of 97,500 farmers received agricultural inputs." Bari told Business Recorder both the international organisations are working for enhancing the agriculture output in the 17 districts of Pakistan.
He said the EUFF has provided financial assistance to 97,500 farmers of the 17 districts enabling them to purchase quality seeds fertilisers and verified seeds of vegetables to enhance their output, besides increasing their incomes. Four districts of Punjab ie Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal and Chakwal are vulnerable to food security, but are having good potential for agriculture production, selected for the project.
The project will also cover Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Jafarabad and Sibbi, Balochistan and Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Sukkur, Sindh along with Dera Ismail Khan, Swabi, Buner, Shangla and Batgram, NWFP. The farmers of the above-mentioned areas are hoping that food facility project intervention would increase wheat production up to five percent this year, as the body has provided quality wheat seeds and fertiliser to 17 districts of the four provinces.
While, giving the details to this scribe about EU initiatives, Senior Communication & Reporting Officer EU Food Facility Pakistan, Asad Jan said that these included 1,865 tons of seeds, such as wheat, tomatoes, lentils and peas and 3,420 tons of fertiliser. He maintained that presently they are also working on the formation of Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) in these targeted areas. Each FIG will comprise at least 25-farmers (women and men) from villages selected in Rabi 2009 as well as those to be selected in Rabi 2010".
He said "This assistance will play an important role in enhancing agriculture productivity in the food deficient districts crucial for the food security of vulnerable rural households." On the issue, when contacted European Union (EU) Advisor for Pakistan, Imran Ashraf, he said that under this project, 100 farmer's interest groups of the seventeen districts would also get some agricultural machinery including land preparation, threshing, grading, storing and others that would help in increasing agricultural productivity in the targeted areas.
He said small farmers with two to four hectares of agricultural land would be targeted and preference would be given to vulnerable groups including elderly people headed households. It was estimated that 65 percent of households would use all of the harvest for household consumption.
He said that the participating households - up to 83,750 had received from WFP, a monthly package of 100 kg wheat for a period of four months, as a compensation enabling them to take part in Food for Work activities as well as to address their food security.
Having experience in agriculture relief and development activities in the country, FAO will implement the project by June 2011 in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP).
Akhtar Wahla, a small farmer, having four acres of land for cultivation, said: "We received quality wheat seeds and fertiliser from FAO for improved production during the Rabi season 2009, now we are witnessing better germination and expect more than 10 percent increase in the production".
The FAO also distribute vegetable seeds' packets among the farmers of the seventeen districts. Dwellers of Botay Wala, a remote village of District Multan, lauded FAO and European Commission for provision of lentil, tomato, peas, spinach and turnip seeds.
Meanwhile, a farmers Community meeting held in Raja Raam village of District Multan wherein the participants were as the views that due to the FAO and European Union food facility project, they would be able to produce superfluous 400 kg wheat per acre.