Japan to provide $5 million for agro-industry development

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan announced a grant worth around 560 million Japanese Yen (approximately USD 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 Country Representative of UNIDO Nadia Aftab signed an agreement in this regard today.

Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan and secretary Hashim Popalzai were presented on the occasion.

The grant will 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 D.I. Khan) and apple value chain in Balochistan (Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and Quetta).

The project will 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 will revitalise the livelihood of value chain actors, covering their daily income from the apple and cattle value chains and to improve practices of food manufacturers and processors along with the related enabling environment across the two provinces.

The minister said this project is a productive addition to our efforts towards revival of agriculture sector; our main emphasis through new “Nation Food Security Policy” is on improving nutrition diversification of agriculture through an enhanced focus on high-value horticulture & livestock.