ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The income of local farmers has improved by 25% after the launch of a four-year project for promotion of value added fruit products in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).
The project, a joint venture of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Agriculture Department of Gilgit-Baltistan was started in 2012 at a cost of Rs 465 million, out of which Pakistan’s share is Rs 28.5 million.
As many as 85 farmers and officials were imparted training for marketing and value addition to save the surplus production of apple and apricot in Hunza and Skardu areas.
Briefing the media about the project, Senior Programme Officer, JICA, Amir Bukhari informed that a sizeable amount of organic fruit was being wasted owing to unavailability of proper transportation and marketing.
Hence, JICA started a project for the capacity building of farmers besides providing them equipment and other support.
He said a 13-member group was sent to Japan under strengthening of community based organizations. The participants understood practices of livelihood improvement and obtained basic skills and knowledge for improving institutions of Local Support Organizations.
Project Officer, Agriculture Department of G-B Dr Fazal ur Rehman who led the group also shared his experience and lessons learnt during their visit to Japan.
He said, under the project the fruit farmers, including women, and officials were trained to sell their products in local and international markets.
Dr Fazal said that the farmers had got orders of 28 tonnes of dry fruit only from Japan after the launch of the project this year.
He said prior to this project, about 50 percent of fruit production was wasted but now the situation had changed.
Now, fruit was being exported as local traders had an access to the international market.
He requested the Japanese government to extend this project or start similar projects for the benefit of local community especially the farmers.
APP
