Programme for agriculture livestock development launched

Islamabad : Ministry of National Food Security and Research in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a four years project of technology transfer for the development agriculture and livestock sectors of the country.

The programme titled 'Pakistan Agricultural Technology Transfer Activity', is aiming at to enhance local agriculture and livestock production by increasing the farm out with the adaptation and introduction of innovative technologies of cultivation, irrigation, livestock breeding and marketing, said an official in the ministry.

Talking to this agency, he said that about 30 largest private sector agriculture technology companies have been engaged to exploit the existing potential of local agriculture and livestock potential by technology transfer to small and medium farmers.

The other objective of the initiative was to help the local farming community in reducing their costs of inputs and increase their productivity to enhance the farm income for poverty alleviation and prosperity of small scale growers, he added.

He said that initially, the project would benefit about 122,500 farmers across the country and their out sales were projected to reach at $8.58 million during the first phase of the initiative, adding that the program would have multiple effects on the local agriculture sector. The project, he said will help local farmers to realise the full potential of their land and labour with the adoption of innovative technologies, besides it would also help to connect farmers to each other, new techniques, timely weather data and the supply chain network, he remarked. He further informed that the activity would also enhances productivity, builds resilience to climate change and reduces post-harvest losses and maximize the farmers income, he added.