PRIAT will support farmers implement innovative, climate-smart technologies to help the Punjab government achieve economies of scale to transform the agricultural sector
\n ISLAMABAD
\nThe World Bank\u2019s Board of Executive Directors Saturday 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.
\nThe agricultural sector in Punjab is central to the Pakistan\u2019s economy and food security as it accounts for 73% of the country\u2019s total food production.
\nThe 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, according to a press release issued by the World ank.
\n\u201cIn recent years Pakistan\u2019s 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,\u201d said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan.
\n\u201cThis 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.\u201d
\nPRIAT 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.
\n\u201cThe agriculture sector has a huge opportunity to both build climate resilience and improve economic conditions by generating access to domestic and international markets,\u201d said Guo Li, Task Team Leader for the project. \u201cPRIAT will help accelerate the government\u2019s efforts to transform the agri-food system through market-oriented production activities that add value, increase competitiveness and generate higher incomes for farmers.\u201d
\nThe 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.
\nPakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950. Since then, the World Bank has provided $40 billion in assistance. The World Bank\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PRIAT will support farmers implement innovative, climate-smart technologies to help the Punjab government achieve economies of scale to transform the agricultural sector ISLAMABAD The World Bank\u2019s Board of Executive Directors Saturday 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[9625,232,367],"class_list":{"0":"post-271693","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-agri-sector","9":"tag-punjab","10":"tag-world-bank"},"yoast_head":"\n