PAFAID Project Successfully Concludes: Celebrating Milestones and Impact

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), proudly marked the successful conclusion of the Project for Agri-Food and Agro-Industry Development Assistance (PAFAID) with a closing ceremony.

The promotion of value-addition in agriculture sector in Pakistan is an urgent necessity. Through enhanced value addition, particularly in Horticulture and Livestock sectors, farmers, small and medium industrialists as well as young entrepreneurs can not only achieve greater profitability from their production but also contribute to the stabilization of the national economy.

The PAFAID initiative, implemented since September 2019, focused on enhancing the productive and compliance capacities in the cattle meat value chain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the apple value chain in Balochistan. The project achieved remarkable milestones, including the establishment of state-of-the-art meat training facility, meat testing laboratories, apple grading facilities, fruit processing unit and the training of over 2,230 stakeholders, including farmers, processors, and government officials, in best practices and modern techniques. The initiative has also supported the upgrade of butcher shops and female meat product manufacturers and integrated international standards in the operation and policy framework of provincial authorities.

The event was graced by the Honorable Chief Guest, Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research.
In his remarks, the Federal Minister expressed his gratitude to UNIDO and JICA, highlighting the importance of advancing Pakistan's agricultural and livestock sectors for improved food security through innovative practices, sustainable resource use, and value addition. He emphasized the government’s commitment to agriculture-led economic growth, improving food safety standards, and enhancing export capacity in livestock and horticulture.
This collaboration between the JICA, Federal Mistry, Provincial departments and UNIDO will be proved to be beneficial for farming communities in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by tapping into local human and technical resources.