The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) imparted skill-based trainings to over 70,170 farmers, workers and suppliers of different crops during the past seven-and-half years across the country to enhance crop output and farm income. The skill-development trainings were imparted through the Pakistan Agricultural Development (PAD) project to farmers, workers and suppliers of red chillies, tomatoes, bananas and dates across the 12 districts of Punjab and Sindh provinces. The project worth $20 million, spanning over 7.5 years focused on the districts of Sheikhpure, Khanaewal, Multan, Muzaffarghar, Lorhran and Bhawlapure of the Punjab Province. The project also targeted the districts Thatta, Hyderabad/Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot and Khairpure and improved the livelihood of about 1,215,038 individuals in these areas. The project, which aimed to increase farm productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, improve the quality of the produce and expand trades also benefited about 7,100 women in the targeted districts and helped to enhance their income and empower them economically. The closeout ceremony of the projects was held on Wednesday, which was attended by the Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, Dr Colin Quinn of Winrock International and Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali. A large number of project beneficiaries, farmers and other stakeholders attended the ceremony and shared their experiences and the positive impact of the project in enhancing their crop output as well as the farm income by adopting innovative techniques of value addition. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for National Food Security and Research Kausar Abdullah Malik highlighted the historic US-Pakistan collaboration in the field of agriculture sector development and capacity development of research and development institutions. The minister lauded the efforts of the US government and USDA for providing technical and financial assistance to establish different research institutions and capacity building of agriculture research scientists. Addressing the ceremony, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome said that the Pakistan Agricultural Development project, a $20.9 million US Department of Agriculture-funded initiative, provided 63,000 farmers with training on using good agriculture practices. “We introduced new production techniques and improved post-harvest storage and processing and we established model plots with select farmers and private sector service providers to demonstrate the benefits of these practices. Additionally, we created jobs for 600 women in Khairpur and Sindh through the establishment of three date-pitting centers”, he added. The Ambassador said that Pakistan Agricultural Development grants enabled farmers to build high-efficiency drip irrigation systems, a tomato processing unit, cold storage facilities and banana packing houses. He said that through the marketing and credit programs, the project strengthened commercial linkages with both upstream and downstream businesses. Agriculture is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, he said adding that the United States and Pakistan have and will continue to broaden and deepen our cooperation and collaboration across this important sector. He said that the scientists from USDA and the Ministry of National Food Security and Research joined forces to develop bio-pesticides specifically for Pakistan’s growing conditions. Together, we are finalizing a regulatory framework to allow the marketing of eco-friendly crop protection products. And we are providing farmers with tools to use fertilizers more efficiently. He said that with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sustainable Development Unit, we are training women farmers, building irrigation schemes and partnering with the Food and Agriculture Organization to sustain alternative livelihood opportunities in the newly merged districts of KP.