USAID agribusiness project helps 27,000 farmers

ISLAMABAD: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) held a ceremony on Friday, showcasing a successful agricultural program that shared modern techniques with 27,000 farmers and helped to increase agricultural exports by $34 million, a statement said.
The USAID’s agribusiness project worked with both small farmers and larger producers to increase productivity and quality while reaching new domestic and international markets.
The four-year program, which ends this month, created jobs for 14,000 Pakistanis, it said.
“The farmers of Pakistan have tremendous potential, and USAID is committed to supporting farmers in adopting modern best practices and technologies,” USAID Mission Director John Groarke said.
Some of the program’s achievements include a 300 percent increase in income for 800 women who process apricots in Gilgit-Baltistan, an improvement in the quality of chillies from Pakistan and improvements in cuts of meat for the international export market.
USAID is continuing to support market-led growth in the horticulture and livestock value chains through a recently launched US-Pakistan Partnership for Agriculture Market Development.
The US assistance has reached more than 800,000 rural households and financed irrigation initiatives for more than 480,000 acres of farmland in Pakistan.