ISLAMABAD: Donald Blome, US Ambassador to Pakistan, said on Wednesday that the United States and Pakistan are collaboratively striving to provide farmers, foresters, and ranchers with innovative revenue streams.
Joint efforts aim to help farmers in adopting climate-smart agricultural practices while expanding market options and ensuring fairer rates for their produce; he said while addressing an event arranged to celebrate the Pakistan Agricultural Development project, a $20.9 million Department of Agriculture-funded initiative with a wide array of impressive accomplishments.
He added that together, we provided sixty-three thousand farmers with training on using Good Agriculture Practices. We introduce new production techniques and improved post-harvest processing and storage.
He said that we established model plots with select farmers and private sector service providers to show the benefits of these practices. Jobs have been created for six hundred women in Khairpur and Sindh through the establishment of three date-pitting centers.
Pakistan Agricultural Development grants enabled farmers to develop high-efficiency drip irrigation systems, cold storage facilities, tomato processing units, and banana packing houses. Through marketing and credit programs, the project strengthened commercial linkages with both downstream and upstream businesses.
US-Pakistan Green Alliance
The envoy said that these accomplishments align perfectly with the targets of the US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework. Through the “Green Alliance,” our nations are working together to increase farmers’ incomes and agricultural productivity while also preserving soil and water resources.
The envoy said that Agriculture is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, and Washington and Islamabad have and will continue to broaden and expand cooperation and collaboration across this key sector.
