Drip Irrigation: Can Pakistan Make its Deserts Bloom?

[Riaz Haq]

Large tracts of desert in Cholistan, Kharan and Thar land lay barren in Pakistan today. Can some parts of these deserts be made to bloom given the worsening water crisis in the country with per capita water availability approaching 900 cubic meters? How does Pakistan improve long term food security for its growing population? The answer to both lies in efficient water management through effective drip irrigation.

Drip Irrigation

What is Drip Irrigation:

Drip irrigation is a micro-irrigation system using tubing that saves water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly into the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. It puts water directly into the roots and minimizes evaporation.

Water mixed with fertilizer is carried out through tubes which release a small amounts of water per minute directly to the roots of each plant. Precision watering cuts evaporation, run off, and waste.

More Crop Per Drop:

Agriculture uses over 90% of all available fresh water in Pakistan. "More crop per drop" program focuses on improving water use efficiency by promoting drip and sprinkler irrigation in agriculture in Pakistan.

The Punjab government started this effort with the World Bank with $250 million investment.  The World Bank is now providing additional $130 million financing for the Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Program Phase-I.

The project is the Punjab Government's initiative called High-Efficiency Irrigation Systems (HEIS) to more than doubles the efficiency of water use. Under the project, drip irrigation systems have been installed on about 26,000 acres, and 5,000 laser leveling units have been provided. The additional financing will ensure completion of 120,000 acres with ponds in saline areas and for rainwater harvesting, and filtration systems for drinking water where possible, according to the World Bank.

Cost of Drip Irrigation System:

Most crops are not irrigated with the drip method due to higher costs. In the United States and Spain, where the technology is used most, it comprises 6.75 and 2.75 percent of the total irrigated area, respectively, according to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage. Farmers are offered subsidies to encourage the use of drip irrigation in most countries as a way of conserving precious water.

Subsidies in Punjab, Pakistan:

Punjab provincial government is subsidizing up to 60% of the cost of installing new drip irrigation systems, according to Business Recorder newspaper.  Director General Agriculture (Water Management) Malik Muhammad Akram said that latest irrigation techniques ensure availability of water and fertilizer in time to the plants and it also ensure uniform supply of these two major ingredients to all the plants in a field. It helps attaining more per acre yield with minimum agricultural inputs, he added, according to the paper.

There's at least one example of public-private partnership to promote drip irrigation in Sheikhupura near Lahore. The installation has been carried out by Nestlé Pakistan in collaboration with the Government of Punjab, covering 40% and 60% of the farmer’s cost respectively. The Agricultural Efficiency Project was initiated in the year 2017 and has so far covered 109 acres of land in 2018 with an estimated 280 million liters of water saved, according to a Nestle press release.

Using drip irrigation, farmers can save up to 95% of water and reduce fertilizer use, compared to surface irrigation, according to Malik Mohammad Akram. In flood irrigation – the traditional method of agriculture in the region – a farmer uses 412,000 liters per acre, while using drip irrigation the same land can be irrigated with just 232,000 liters of water, he explained to Zofeen Ibrahim of The Third Pole that covers Asia's water crisis.

Success Stories:

Writing for The Third Pole,  Zofeen Ebrahim has cited a couple of success stories of farmers receiving Punjab government's drip irrigation subsidies: The stories of ex IT Engineer Hasan Abdullah and Infiniti Agro and Livestock Farm.

Hasan Abdulla is has planted an orchard on his 40-acre plot in Cholistan Desert. He has orange, lemon olive trees which are now fruiting three years after planting. He is among the first farmers experimenting with drip irrigation.While Abdullah was saving water, the cost of diesel for running water pump was proving astronomical. It would have been difficult for Abdullah to continue farming with drip irrigation had the government not announced an 80% subsidy on solar power plants for farmers in 2018. He promptly took it up.

Asif Riaz Taj, who manages Infiniti Agro and Livestock Farm in Bahawalpur, heard of Abdulla's drip irrigation project and paid him a visit. He like it and decided to follow the example.  Now in their fourth year, the Infiniti orchards have started fruiting over 70 acres. But it will not be before its sixth year, Taj said, that they will “break even”. The drip irrigation and solar plant was installed at a cost of PKR 25 million (USD 174,000), and the monthly running cost of this farm is almost PKR 4 million (USD 28,000).

Summary:

Pakistan faces a severe water crisis that threatens the nation's long term food security.  The country needs to expand area under cultivation while efficiently managing its precious water resources. It needs to make parts of its deserts bloom. The best way to do it efficient water management through effective drip irrigation. Such projects are expensive to implement. The Punjab government is offering up to 60% subsidy to farmers to encourage wider use of drip irrigation.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Pakistan Water Crisis: Facts and Myths 

Groundwater Depletion in Pakistan

Water Scarce Pakistan

Cycles of Drought and Floods in Pakistan

Pakistan to Build Massive Dams

Dust Bowl in Thar Desert Region

Dasht River in Balochistan

Hindus in Pakistan

Riaz Haq's YouTube Channel

PakAlumni Social Network

[Riaz Haq]

Biosaline Agriculture in Pakistan

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228456411_Biosaline_agricu...

Fresh water resources are under severe pressure along with the agricultural irrigation system which suffers from a steady increase in salinity. In order to maintain good supply of water for human consumption and for agriculture, efforts should be made to find alternate source of water and utilization of saline land for economic benefits. A number of halophytes could be used as cash crop (forage, fodder, fuel, medicine, chemicals, ornamentals etc). Pakistan spans a distance of 1,600 kilometers from the Arabian Sea to plains and prairies, the playas of temperate northern mountains across deserts, covering an area of 800,000 square kilometers. The varied climatic conditions have resulted in a rich diversity of flora including halophytes. Compared to the total 2500 species reported worldwide, Pakistan alone has about 410 halophytes and 178 of them have not been reported before. The efforts made to combat salinity and utilization of halophytes as cash-crop in Pakistan would be discussed.

[Riaz Haq]

Tending orchards in Thar desert — without flowing water
A farmer is using clay pitchers to irrigate his orchard and crops, using 70 per cent less water than conventional methods.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1571967



Most of the inhabitants of the Thar desert can grow crops only after a downpour has transformed the arid land into lush greenery. But Allahrakhio Khoso, a 60-year-old farmer, does not need to wait for rain.

In the city of Nagarparkar, in the shadow of the Karoonjhar mountains, Khoso has made an orchard in the desert a reality by using matkas or pitchers — an everyday object more commonly found in the home than in the field.

After eight years, Khoso has 400 berry trees, 70 lemon trees, three mango trees and four pomegranate trees. He grows vegetables such as okra, bitter melon, onions, chilies and tinda (a type of squash), as well as watermelon, on his land in the district of Tharparkar.

Khoso can grow berries, lemons, mangoes, pomegranates, watermelon and vegetables. — Photo by Zulfiqar Khoso
In pitcher irrigation, a large clay pot with a wide bottom and narrow top is buried in the ground and filled with water. The water is slowly released into the surrounding soil and absorbed by the roots of nearby plants, minimising the amount of precious liquid lost to evaporation.

In pitcher irrigation, a large clay pot is buried in the ground near a plant and filled with water. — Photo by Zulfiqar Khoso
Water in the desert
Rich in coal but poor in water, Thar is the largest desert zone in the province of Sindh. Its residents depend on rainfall; most people fetch their daily water from wells and store rainwater in water tanks. In summer, many wells run dry and groundwater becomes brackish.

To this day, some wells are dug without modern machinery. Recently four workers dieddigging a well when the walls fell in on them.

Water is so important a commodity that it even features in marriage negotiations; before a proposal is accepted, the parents of a bride will ask the groom’s family how close the nearest well is. In greetings, people also ask about sweet water wells.

Nevertheless, living in the desert does not mean thirst and poverty are inevitable.

How does pitcher irrigation work?
"Many years back, one of my friends came to visit our village and he discussed pitcher irrigation," said Khoso. "I got the idea and started working on it. In the beginning, it was quite hard but now it looks very simple. I thought that if I could make my farm green without rainwater, then I should go for it."

Khoso has made an orchard in the desert a reality. — Photo by Zulfiqar Khoso
To install a new pitcher, Khoso first makes a small hole in the bottom of a pitcher. He puts a rope through the hole, then buries the pitcher, packing mud and sand tightly around it. This leaves only the mouth of the pitcher exposed, which Khoso fills with water. The water seeps through the porous clay and soaks through the rope into the sand, where it is absorbed by the roots of the crops he has planted close by. As well as natural fertilisers, Khoso uses mud from Virawah, a city near Nagarparkar where there is an ancient lake.

Each pitcher is two to three feet wide and holds 10 litres of water, which will irrigate the soil for 15 to 20 days. New pitchers are better for irrigation because they are more porous and, once in place, will last three years. Khoso fetches water roughly every 10 days — there is a well on his farm, and another nearby.

For trees, Khoso uses one pitcher per plant; sometimes two pitchers for mango trees, planting trees 25 feet (7.6 metres) apart. The amount of water needed depends on the crop, with trees requiring more pitchers. Khoso now has 400 pitchers irrigating his orchard.

[Riaz Haq]

Domestic and foreign investors have started showing interest in oil palm farming following satisfactory results from trial production of the oil palm fruit in Thatta.
Besides a domestic edible oil company, a delegation of local traders and the Malaysian embassy visited a 50-acre oil palm fruit orchard in Kathore, Thatta to assess quality of the fruit and suitability of soil.
The delegation along with Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development (ECCCD) Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri also visited a palm oil producing mill set up by the provincial government and inspected its production process, said an ECCCD spokesperson on Monday.
“Expressing satisfaction over the quality and production environment in the region, officials were of the view that it provided excellent investment opportunities for oil palm cultivation and palm oil production, which should be fully utilised by the global and local business communities,” he said.
On the occasion, the secretary told the delegation that Sindh had crossed an important milestone through successful experimentation with oil palm cultivation.
He said that the project would play a key role in prosperity of Pakistan and meet domestic demand for palm oil to a great extent.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2276889/oil-palm-farming-attracts-inve...

----------------------

Edible oil including soybean and palm into the country during first four months of current financial year increased by 42.99% and 30.57% respectively as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.

During the period from July to October 2020-21, about 72,631 metric tons of soybeans costing $48.168 million imported as against the import of 48, 489 metric tons valuing $33.687 million of same period of last year.

According the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, during the period under review about 1,049,134 metric tons of palm oil worth of $661.445 million imported as against the import of 929,331 metric tons valuing $506.586 million of same period last year.

During the period under review imports of palm oil into the country witnessed about 30.

57% increase as against the imports of the same period of last year, it added.

It is worth mentioning here that in last four months of current financial year food group imports into the country grew by 43.49 percent as different food commodities costing $2.272 billion imported as against the imports of 1.583 billion of the same period of last year.

On the other hand, food group exports from the country during the period review went down by 16.77 percent as it was recorded at $1.331 billion from July-October, 2020 as compared to $1.359 billion of the corresponding period of last year.

On month on month basis, the exports of food commodities post 13.42 percent reduction in month of October, 2020 as compared the same month of last year, whereas imports into the country during the period under review grew by 15.14 percent


https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/edible-oil-including-soybean-...

[Riaz Haq]

Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones, too. Your body definitely needs fat.

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fa...

Eating foods with fat is definitely part of a healthy diet. Just remember to choose foods that provide good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) and balance the amount of calories you eat from all foods with the amount of calories you burn. Aim to eat a dietary pattern that emphasizes intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; includes low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils and nuts; and limits intake of sodium, sweets, sugar sweetened beverages and red meats. Doing so means that your diet will be low in both saturated fats and trans fats.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan to become full member of International Olive Council
https://www.dawn.com/news/1653307


Olive development programme is expected to receive grants from the council
----------

The Inter­national Olive Council (IOC) has decided to admit Pakistan as its full member, saying the country contains huge potential of producing olive oil not only for domestic consumption but also for export.

Pakistan is currently an associate member of the IOC which is an intergovernmental organisation of states that produce olives or products derived from olives such as oil.

IOC’s Executive Director Abdellatif Ghedira is currently on a visit to Pakistan on a request of the Pakistan Oil Seeds Development Board.

Speaking to media here on Thursday after visiting olive farms and reviewing the potential of olive oil production in Pakistan with the government and research scientists, Mr Ghedira said Pakistan was now well placed to join the council as its full member.

The full membership of Pakistan will lead to strengthen international cooperation and bring the Pakistani olive oil sector closer to the council and promote the application of IOC standards in the world markets.

Pakistan’s olive development programme is expected to receive grants from the council which finances national programmes of member countries on an annual basis.

Mr Ghedira ended his visit to Pakistan on a satisfying note that the government has embarked on a massive project to promote the olive oil sector since it has suitable climate to plant varieties of olives.

He said the council would support Pakistan to secure certification as the country had standard processing plants and research laboratories.

Currently, Pakistan has 3.6 million olive plants over an area of 31,000 acres of land, and plans are underway to grow 10m more plants over 75,000 acres of land.

Balochistan has been considered as highly promising province for the cultivation of olive plants.

The IOC brings together olive oil and table olive producing and consuming stakeholders. It is the world’s only international intergovernmental organisation in the field of olive oil and table olives. The council currently has 17 state members in addition to the European Union. These states account for over 98 per cent of the world’s oil production.

[Riaz Haq]

With help of drip irrigation, sprinklers and shading fabric, it is the first ginger farming project that turned out commercially successful.

https://www.app.com.pk/national/sania-inaugurates-first-ever-ginger...

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar on Sunday inaugurated the first ever ginger cultivation during the Ginger Harvest Workshop held in Balkasar area of Chakwal. The harvest celebration was organized by Agrionics Farms.

This was the first ginger harvest piloted in Pakistan. The crop was grown in eleven months. Being an essential ingredient of Pakistani cuisine, ginger is high in demand, but unfortunately it is not grown here, and all the crop is imported to meet the domestic needs.

At the event, participants learnt from experts about the sustainable production and management of ginger and how to properly harvest this crop.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sania said, “Ginger can emerge as a major crop and can be a game-changer for the farming community. Agriculture is profoundly linked to poverty alleviation in Pakistan. Government, private sector, research institutions, innovators and farmers can work together to build synergies and develop agri-value chains. This will lead to greater impact for poverty alleviation, livelihoods creation, economic growth and foreign trade boosting.”

Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Muhammad Najeebullah, Director Vegetable Research Institute, Faisalabad and other experts were also present on the occasion.

Participants were provided with information on how to successfully grow and harvest ginger in the country.

Experts presented research-based information about the agricultural benefits of growing ginger locally.

After knowledge-sharing, all participants went to the field for the formal inauguration and demonstrations.

Chairman PARC briefed Dr. Sania on the success of the ginger cultivation project and its potential to boost Pakistan’s farming sector. “This variety of ginger has been successfully grown and field tested and can yield up to approximately 8 to 10 tonnes per acre in this area” he said.

Other experts shared that Pakistan is an agri economy field to progress as it shall be but now it has started its journey towards self-sustainability.

With help of drip irrigation, sprinklers and shading fabric, it is the first ginger farming project that turned out commercially successful.

[Riaz Haq]

Replacing full-fat #dairy with #olive oil may reduce your risk of #diseases, including #Alzheimer, #heart & #cancer, and death by 34%. The study analyzed the #diets of people enrolled in two large #US government-funded studies at #Harvard Public Health. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/health/olive-oil-benefits-wellness/i...

Using olive oil instead of margarine, butter or other saturated fats may protect you from dying from cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, dementia, and other conditions, according to a study released Monday.

"It's a combination of both decreasing the amount of saturated fat at the same time you're increasing the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil," said Dr. Howard LeWine, the chief medical editor of Harvard Health Publishing, part of Harvard Medical School.
"The takeaway is to use olive oil every time you can as a substitute for saturated fats when you're cooking or in your salad dressings," said LeWine, who was not involved in the study.

The study analyzed the diets of people enrolled in two large government-funded studies: the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Researchers then compared the diet findings to disease and death records for those people over time.
Men and women who replaced just over 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or dairy fat with the same amount of olive oil had up to a 34% lower overall risk of dying than people who ate little to no olive oil, according to study author Marta Guasch-Ferre, a senior research scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
"This is the first long-term study, including more than 90,000 participants followed for up to 30 years, conducted in the American population on olive oil and mortality. Previous studies were conducted in Mediterranean and European populations where the consumption of olive oil tends to be higher," Guasch-Ferre said via email.

"Our results provide further support for recommendations to replace saturated fat and animal fat with unsaturated plant oils, such as olive oil, for the prevention of premature death," she added.
People who reported eating the highest levels of olive oil had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart conditions, a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 29% lower risk of dying from neurodegenerative disease, and an 18% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease mortality compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil in place of saturated fats, said Susanna Larsson, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in an accompanying editorial.
Both the study and editorial were published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The connection between olive oil and fewer deaths from brain disease was "novel," Larsson wrote. "Considering the lack of preventive strategies for Alzheimer's disease and the high morbidity and mortality related to this disease, this finding, if confirmed, is of great public health importance."

[Riaz Haq]

The Pakistan Honey Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.41% in the forecast period, 2023-2027, to reach USD451.77 million by 2027.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/03/16/2404413/0/en/...

Changing consumer preference towards consumption of healthier sugar substitutes and natural sweeteners and the health benefits of honey, including the presence of anti-cancer agents, are the primary factors driving the growth of the Pakistan Honey Market.

Also, the increased demand from the cosmetics and personal care industry and ongoing adoption of advanced beekeeping techniques by the market players are the other factors that are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the Pakistan Honey Market in the forecast period.

Consumers are becoming health-conscious and aware of the health-damaging properties of sugar and artificial sweeteners, which have created the demand for natural sweeteners. Honey can be used as an excellent substitute instead of white sugar, and it provides several health benefits to the consumer.

Honey also has anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anti-viral properties and, therefore, is considered an effective medicine to treat cough, cold, and throat infections. Also, favorable government initiatives such as the "Billion Tree Honey Initiative" and plantation of trees to boost the local bee population and honey production are expected to fuel the growth of the Pakistan Honey Market in the forecast period.

The Pakistan Honey Market can be segmented into product, type, pack size, packaging, distribution channel, application, regional distribution, and company. Based on the product, the market is bifurcated into natural/organic honey v/s processed honey.

Natural/organic honey is leading the market with a market share of 82.26%, and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Natural/organic honey is preferred over its counterpart as it has enhanced antioxidant properties and can be stored for a longer duration.

Major market players operating in the Pakistan Honey Market

Natural Swat Bee Honey
Simply the Great Food
Forest Honey
Shifaheillahi Natural Honey
Nature's Store
My Honey
Organic Honey
Sunbulah Group (Al-Shifa Honey)
Buzzin Beez
Pakeeza Honey Center
Report Scope:

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2017-2020
Base Year: 2021
Estimated Year: 2022
Forecast Period: 2023-2027
Pakistan Honey Market, By Product:

Natural/Organic Honey
Processed Honey
Pakistan Honey Market, By Type:

Acacia
Sidr
Orange Blossom
Ajwain
Clover
Others
Pakistan Honey Market, By Pack Size:

500gm
1000gm and Above
200-250gm
Pakistan Honey Market, By Packaging:

Jar
Bottles
Pouch
Others
Pakistan Honey Market, By Distribution Channel:

Supermarket/Hypermarket
Convenience Stores
Online
Others
Pakistan Honey Market, By Application:

Food & Beverage
Personal Care and Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals
Others
Pakistan Honey Market, By Region:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Punjab
Sindh
Others
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1ndlma

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan Set to Become Olive Council Member

https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/business/pakistan-to-become-olive-cou...

Pakistani government representatives met with officials from the International Olive Council (IOC) in Madrid recently to announce that the South Asian country will become its 19th member.

The IOC’s goal is to plant tens of millions of trees and make Pakistan a relevant olive oil producer in the region. The country is already involved in a multi-year nationwide effort to expand local olive production.

According to Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants, Pakistan produces about 1,500 tons of olive oil per annum and 830 tons of table olives, all of which are destined for domestic consumption.

“Pakistan feels the need to connect with the council as they are developing their olive sector and their internal olive oil consumption grows,” Abdellatif Ghedira, the IOC’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times.

“In Pakistan, olive oil culture is making inroads, and so are the opportunities related to that,” he added. “The council is a decisive player in contributing to the sustainable and responsible development of olive growing, and it serves as a world forum for discussing policymaking issues and tackling present and future challenges.”

The nationwide Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project launched by the government to tackle some of the effects of climate change such as soil erosion and desertification complements the olive expansion projects meant to bring new opportunities to farmers.

The reforestation project, considered by the United Nations one of the most ambitious on a global scale, aims at restoring and enhancing more than one million hectares of forest by the end of 2023.

Today Pakistan’s forest covers only five percent of the country, compared with a 23 percent global average. Planting fruit tree crops, such as olives, is an environmentally and economically-friendly way to achieve this goal.

The second phase of the national olive project, which started 12 years ago, will add 10 million new olive trees in the next three years.

Given the unique characteristics of the olive tree, often thriving in areas way more challenging for other crops, government officials believe that olive farming is an efficient answer both to reforestation needs and economic development.

“A special focus in this phase will be given to underprivileged areas of the country, such as Southern Balochistan, Southern Punjab, the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some parts of Sindh province,” Muhammad Tariq, national project director at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, told Olive Oil Times.

Thanks to cooperation projects with some of the IOC’s European members, such as Spain and Italy, and with foreign support from China, local growers are experimenting with many different olive varieties, such as Pendolino, Frantoio, Picual and Arbequina.

---------------

The IOC currently has 18 state members including the European Union. These states account for over 98 per cent of the world's olive production. The following states of the IOC are below (the year of the state's first ratification of one of the Agreements is included; an asterisk indicates that the state was a founding member of the IOOC):

Albania (2009)
Algeria (1963)
Argentina (2009)
Egypt (1964)
European Union*[1]
Georgia (2019)
Iran (2004)
Israel* (1958)
Jordan (2002)
Lebanon (1973)
Libya* (1956)
Montenegro (2007)
Morocco (1958)
Palestine (2017)
Tunisia* (1956)
Turkey (2010)
Uruguay (2013)
Uzbekistan (2021)

[Riaz Haq]

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $200 million in financing to support Pakistan in transforming the agricultural sector by adopting climate-smart technologies to improve water-use efficiency, build resilience to extreme weather events and increase incomes of small farmers.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/07/15/world-ba...

The agricultural sector in Punjab is central to the Pakistan’s economy and food security as it accounts for 73 percent of the country’s total food production. The Punjab Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation Project (PRIAT) will increase agricultural productivity through efficient and equitable access to water for small farms. It will support farmers at the community and household levels to adopt climate-smart farming practices and technologies that improve crop yields and conserve water resources in Punjab.

“In recent years Pakistan’s agriculture sector has suffered from losses in crop yields and livestock, damage to irrigation infrastructure, and food shortages due to climate change, particularly severe droughts in the Punjab province,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan. “This project aligns with the Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018, which promotes massive expansion of water conservation efforts, enhancing sustainability and resilience in the wake of climate change, and private sector participation to help boost the productivity of the sector.”

PRIAT will support farmers implement innovative, climate-smart technologies to help the Punjab government achieve economies of scale to transform the agricultural sector. The project will engage the private sector in sourcing appropriate technologies and providing training tailored for water user associations and individual households to improve water conservation practices and agriculture productivity.

“The agriculture sector has a huge opportunity to both build climate resilience and improve economic conditions by generating access to domestic and international markets,” said Guo Li, Task Team Leader for the project. “PRIAT will help accelerate the government’s efforts to transform the agri-food system through market-oriented production activities that add value, increase competitiveness and generate higher incomes for farmers.”

The project will benefit about 190,000 small, family-owned farms and 1.4 million acres of irrigated land in rural communities in the province. It will also provide training to small- and medium-sized farm owners on water conservation and more sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural practices, including for women. About 74 percent of women in the province rely on agriculture as a source of livelihood.

The World Bank in Pakistan

Pakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950. Since then, the World Bank has provided $40 billion in assistance. The World Bank’s program in Pakistan is governed by the Country Partnership Strategy for FY2015-2020 with four priority areas of engagement: energy, private sector development, inclusion, and service delivery. The current portfolio has 60 projects and a total commitment of $14.2 billion.