Agri. Education Pakistan

Surface of Rawal Lake near Islamabad --- Reuters Like his farming neighbours, Bilal Khan plants wheat in late October or early November each year, and harvests and sells his winter crop a few months later. But this year there are no wheat stalks are to be seen on his three hectares of land in Rawat, a town some 20km from Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. Instead, Khan is growing onions, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and carrots. In late October, the Pakistan Meteorological Department informed Khan and other farmers that no rain was forecast for the crucial wheat-growing months of November and December in parts of northern Pakistan that rely solely on rain-fed agriculture. The warning was one of the first of its kind from Pakistan’s weather service, aimed at helping farmers look ahead months, rather than just days, and plan for crops more likely to survive drought. “As advised by the weatherman on the radio, I exercised caution and opted for vegetable cultivation, it being...

Investments in agricultural development in Pakistan do not necessarily benefit the poor and landless people, concludes the International Fund for Agricultural Development evaluation report. Drawing lessons from the country programme evaluation of its projects, the IFAD states that there is a need to develop a better balance between agricultural and non-farm investments in the rural sector. About 57 per cent of the rural poor belong to non-farm households but more off-farm opportunities are now being offered by the country’s growing business environment. More resources should be devoted to small agribusinesses and family-based rural micro-enterprises. IFAD stressed the importance of promoting wider market linkages for both agricultural and non-farm outputs. More rural financial services and products are central to ensuring that the poor have access to financing. Greater attention needs to be paid to livestock development and high-value crops such as fruit, vegetables and flowers t...