The Japanese government has announced a grant of around 560 million Japanese Yen (approximately $5 million) for a United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) project aimed at developing agro-food and agro-industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda and UNIDO Country Representative Nadia Aftab signed an agreement in this regard on Monday. National Food Security and Research Minister Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan and secretary Hashim Popalzai were also presented on the occasion.
The grant would be utilised by UNIDO to pilot the enhancement of productive and compliance capacities of relevant actors in the cattle meat value chain within selected production areas/districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar, Abbottabad, Kohistan and DI Khan) and apple value chain in Balochistan (Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and Quetta).
The project would simultaneously support the relevant governmental bodies to offer adequate services to the industry in a sustainable manner and ensure the sustainability and the possibility to upscale the best practices.
As an expected result of this project, it would revitalise the livelihood of value chain actors, covering their daily income from the apple and cattle value chains. It would also improve practices of food manufacturers and processors along with the related enabling environment across the two provinces.
The minister on the occasion said, “This project is a productive addition to our efforts towards revival of agriculture sector; our main emphasis in the new National Food Security Policy is to improve nutrition diversification of agriculture through an enhanced focus on high-value horticulture and livestock.
