The country representatives of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) called on Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan here in Islamabad today. Federal secretary Hashim Popalzai and other officials of the Ministry were also present in the meeting. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency in the United Nations system. The mission of UNIDO is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. Pakistan and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) started collaboration for formulating the Country Program Framework (CPF) for inclusive and sustainable agriculture development and thereby achieve food safety & Security. The country representative apprised the Federal Minister about the approval of the project AGRO-Food and Agro-Industry Development in Pakistan and subsequent funding by Japan, which is US$5.2 million. The project would formally be launched by the Minister National Food Security in the first week of August this year. The project AGRO-Food and Agro-Industry Development in Pakistan has been developed by UNIDO in consultation with Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Provincial Agriculture Department and development of Agriculture, Livestock, Dairy and Fishery value chain starting from Gilgit-Baltistan with its further spread to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa andBalochistan. The project aims to strengthen cattle meat and apple value chains, through the introduction of new techniques in productive and compliance capacities in these sectors which in turn will improve the livelihood of farmers and reduce rural poverty in the Provinces of KPK and Balochistan. Two phase approach for inception and implementation will be adopted to execute mutually agreed activities after a consultative process to address the issues of value chain for dried and fresh fruit vegetables, oil and oilseed, livestock & dairy, fisheries trout with piloting of new interventions with the involvement of relevant department at provincial level as well as the institutions. Federal Minister said that government has launched PM’s agriculture emergency program and livestock is one of the major projects and in KPK the process of FMD free zones identification is also underway and UNIDO may also collaborate as its focus is KPK meat markets. *-*-*-*
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