ADB-FUNDED AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ADP), US$ 13.9 MILLION (2006-2011)

ASF has the unique experience of launching and implementing a large-scale 5-year cost-sharing grants program with specific focus on agribusiness value chains development, under the ADB-funded Agribusiness Project in Pakistan. ASF supported 5,328 nationwide agribusiness projects under the project.

Some of the key target-based achievements of ASF under the program include:

• Support to 471 existing agribusiness enterprises, including 100 projects of acquisition of international certifications including: GlobalGAP, HACCP, British Retail Consortium (BRC), ISO 22000, IMC and Organic; and support to 84 farmers, agribusiness enterprises and other related stakeholders to participate in international exhibitions and trade shows and for marketing visits to foreign markets;
• Support to 115 start-up agribusiness enterprises, including 11 fresh produce cold-storages, 27 on-farm mango washing, drying, grading and packing units, 10 screen houses for availability of true to type disease free fruit plants, 75 solar dryers for drying of fruits & vegetables;
• 712 training & capacity building initiatives organized in collaboration with national and international organizations. More than 3,000 farmers, consultants & agricultural professionals trained;
• 70 private-sector extension services projects in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, KPK, FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK, including water conservation, preservation of pine nuts forests of Balochistan and value-addition and marketing of pine nuts, beef fattening, date palm sector development, buffalo breed conservation and feed management, benefitting more than 5,000 farmers;
• 11 research & development projects including: trial shipments of mango by sea under controlled atmosphere, essential oil extraction, Pakistan’s first ever banana tissue culture lab, bio-fuel extraction from jatropha plant, use of peat moss to reclaim wastelands, summer cropping, and efficient use of drip irrigation to reclaim saline stricken land;
• Capacity building support to country’s 10 leading Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)/ Rural Support Programs (RSPs)in agribusiness enterprise development who under ASF’s Grant established 2,000 Micro Agribusiness Enterprises throughout the country consisting of more than 20,000 small-scale farmers, including 25% women; and
• 2,000 Micro agribusiness enterprises established under ASF’s grant were provided support for indulging in agribusiness initiatives through various programs such as establishment of 97 certified fruit nurseries at KPK, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK, 42 projects for gladiolus production & marketing in Baluchistan, 20 projects for sustainable apricot drying, processing and marketing in Gilgit Baltistan, 15 projects for setting up apricot dehydration units in Gilgit Baltistan, 290 projects for off-season vegetables production countrywide, and 15 milk collection, chilling and value-addition projects.

The above activities implemented by ASF included a number of first-time initiatives in the country which included the following:

• Project for fruit plant nursery production in private-sector screen houses under insect-free environment on nationwide basis;
• Provision of solar dryers for drying of fruits & vegetables on nationwide basis;
• Extension services project for farmer communities of D.I.Khan & Zhob for value-addition and marketing of pine nuts ;
• Support for establishment of on-farm mango washing, drying, grading and packing facilities in mango growing districts in Punjab & Sindh;
• Support for establishment of plant tissue culture laboratory for bananas in Tando Allahyar Sindh ;
• GlobalGAP Certification projects for citrus & mango in Bhalwal, Sargodha, Multan & Tando Allayar;
• GlobalGAP Train-the-Trainer workshop in Pakistan conducted by M/s FoodPlus, Germany;
• Training program on “British Retail Consortium 3rd Party Auditors” in collaboration with Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA);
• Training programs on off-season farming in collaboration with University of Agriculture Faisalabad & Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi;
• British Retail Consortium (BRC) UK trained professionals;
• Technical expertise for establishment of fresh fruit & vegetable processing unit in Karachi;
• Launch of Private-sector agriculture extension services projects;
• Gladiolus production & marketing in Balochistan; and
• Sustainable apricot drying, processing and marketing in Gilgit Baltistan.

Summary of key impact indicators under the project includes: Employment generation for 65,000 persons; 20,000 farmers representing 140,000 family members brought together to form 2,000 agribusiness enterprises countrywide; 139% increase in employment generation coupled with increased real profits at target farms in rural areas ( Lahore University of Management Sciences – LUMS – Impact Assessment Report 2010); Exports of Fruits & Vegetables from Pakistan increased over the 4 year period from $168.6m in 2006-07 to $ 445m in 2010-11 (most of the exporters were beneficiaries of ASF programs); Fresh private investments of Rs. 2.78 billion generated in the Agribusiness sector; and, according to LUMS Impact Assessment Report the ASF program to support BDS market development was successful in correcting market failure in the target sectors. Acknowledging the impact of ASF’s programs for capacity building of kinnow farmers, ADB published a success story “Pakistani Kinnow goes Global” as a headline story on its official website.