The United States, United Nations Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Government of Pakistan celebrated the completion of an agriculture project that supported 12,000 businesses and created 1,300 jobs while helping rural farmers boost annual sales by $2.5 million.
The four year project, known as “The Horticulture Advancement Activity” (THAzA), improved the livelihoods of rural farmers in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This U.S. assistance ensured rural farmers in these regions were able to gain access to technological advancements that were previously unavailable to rural communities.
Thanks to this U.S. assistance implemented by FAO, over 1,300 full-time jobs were created and almost 12,000 micro, small, or medium enterprises were supported.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Mission Director Michael Rossman praised the accomplishments of the THAzA program and said, “I highly appreciate the efforts of THAzA for empowering the youth and women of KP and Balochistan by providing them improved access to resources, training on specialized skills and agricultural technologies, and entrepreneurship opportunities.”
Ms. Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan, commended the efforts of THAzA and highlighted the efforts of this four-year project. THAzA has specifically engaged youth and women within the agricultural sector by providing them improved access to resources, specialized skills in agricultural technologies, and entrepreneurship.
On behalf of the Governments of KP and Balochistan, Mohibullah Khan, the Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. Abdullah Khan, the Secretary of P&D, conveyed their sincere gratitude to the United States for its support to bolster economic empowerment and increase food security for communities in these regions. The government officials added, “The Governments of KP and Balochistan recognize the quality support in the shape of THAzA to boost competitiveness of the selected commodity chains and expressed satisfaction over the achievements in this regard.” Waleed Mahdi, the Chief of Party for THAzA celebrated the program for its success in attracting donors from around the world to invest in the development of the agricultural sector in Pakistan.
