Arid farming initiative launched in Balochistan

A new arid farming initiative has been launched to assist rural communities in drought-hit areas of Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan. "The purpose of the project is to improve the livelihood and food security of the rural people of Balochistan through introducing new arid farming technology, livestock management, agro-processing, marketing techniques and water conservation strategies," Syed Muhammad Ali, programme officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The pilot project of about US $6 million has been funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and will be implemented over the next three years by the FAO in collaboration with Pakistan's agricultural department. Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan with a landmass of 34.6 million hectares, comprising almost 44 per cent of the country's 79.6 million hectares geographic area. The dry spell over the past five to seven years has severely hit dry land agriculture, which makes up nearly 85-90 percent of the province. "The project will target the three districts of Loralai, Qila Saifullah and Mastung in Balochistan province, with a combined population of between 50,000 and 75,000. It will implement the applied research and technology transfer of arid land agriculture activities," Ali said. This initiative would also assist in developing workable strategies and policies for better management of land and water resources for the whole of Balochistan province, he added. "This is our first agriculture programme. It's a part of our programme focussing on the economic growth in Balochistan," Peter Duffy, programme officer at USAID, told IRIN in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. USAID is assisting nearly 40 programmes across Pakistan in different sectors of health, education, governance and economic growth. By introducing stronger seed varieties, improving on-farm water systems, strengthening the range and livestock management, enhancing the crop and dairy productivity, the project will help to increase the earnings of small farmers, the FAO officer said.