The support from Japan will help UNIDO in the development of agri-food and agri-industry in certain regions of Pakistan
Image: Nadia Aftab and Kuninori Matsuda at the signing ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has received $5.2m (£4.2m) grant from the Government of Japan to support the development of agri-food and agri-industry in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in Pakistan.
UNIDO will use the grant to improve production capacities of relevant actors in the cattle meat value chain in selected production areas across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Abbottabad, Kohistan and D.I. Khan and in the apple value chain in Balochistan and especially in Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and Quetta.
Governmental bodies will be benefited from the grant
The project also aims to support governmental bodies in providing sustainable and upscaled services to the industry to improve the livelihood of the participants in the value chain and also food manufacturers and processors in the country’s two provinces.
Pakistan National Food Security and Research Federal Minister Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan said: “Agriculture ensures food security and a growing agricultural sector boosts the national economy, reduces poverty and improves access to quality and safe food.
“Our new National Food Security Policy will improve diversification with an enhanced focus on high value horticulture and livestock.”
Japanese Ambassador Kuninori Matsuda said: “Pakistan’s agricultural sector is one of Japan’s priority areas.
“The project will reduce food losses, improve supply chain management and will add more value to products, which will lead to more income generation and which, in turn, will contribute to the socio-economic stability of the targeted provinces.”
Documents related to the project were signed and exchanged between the Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan and the UNIDO Country Representative and the grant agreement was signed and exchanged between JICA’s Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the UNIDO Country Representative.
UNIDO country representative Nadia Aftab said: “UNIDO has a long-standing tradition of collaborating with, and providing technical assistance to the government of Pakistan. We are very grateful to the Government of Japan for its financial assistance and its continued support to bringing about inclusive and sustainable industrial development around the world.
“This unique initiative marks the first direct UNIDO-JICA collaboration to better selected communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan while working very closely with the Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research.”