Balochistan Agriculture Project

Speeches Shim

The Balochistan Agriculture Project is helping communities and individual farmers increase their production, sales, and revenues for crops and livestock.  The project is introducing new technologies and practices, improved management approaches, new varieties of seeds and better livestock management, as well as better water management techniques.  To introduce these new approaches, the project is setting up and training community organizations, farmers' marketing collectives, and mutual marketing organizations. 
 
To help communities increase the value of their products, the project provides technical assistance to:  grade, package, and market products; connect farmers to better-paying markets; and improve buyer and supplier relationships.  The project is also working to increase the participation of women in income-earning activities and is supporting the development of provincial agricultural policies and legal and regulatory frameworks for market-led and community-driven investments. 
 
OBJECTIVES
 
The project aims to increase the incomes of 17,000 rural households (approximately 110,500 people) by 20 percent in more than 800 poorer communities in the districts of Killa Saifullah, Loralai, Mustang, Quetta, Zhob, Musakhel, Pishin, and Sherani. 
 
MAIN ACTIVITIES
  • Train more than 17,000 needy farmers in 800 communities to increase crop and livestock production as well as improve marketing.
  • Promote effective and durable partnerships between public and private sector actors to ensure the sustainable impact of project interventions.
  • Improve irrigation systems through rehabilitation of karez systems, land leveling, and pipe irrigation.
  • Introduce new seed varieties and better production technologies with an emphasis on value addition and increased incomes.
  • Increase livestock production through training in management practices, as well as provision of various production inputs such as feed supplements and de-worming medication on a cost-sharing basis.
  • Arrange Eid livestock Mandis (markets) at the district level to help farmers improve their bargaining and profits.
  • Link farmers' marketing collectives with local and national markets so farmers get a better value for their produce.