Pakistan Do Not Necessarily Benefit The Poor And Landless People, Concludes The International Fund for Agricultural Development Evaluation Report
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...