A Rs1.28 billion project has been proposed to strengthen livestock, horticulture and sustainable ecosystem management in the Thar desert region through research, technology transfer and community capacity building.
The project is titled Thar Community Actions for the Management of Sustainable Ecosystem, Livestock, Land and Livelihood (THAR CAMELL), according to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan.
The five-year initiative will run from July 2026 to June 2031. It will be implemented by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) at the PARC-Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) Umerkot, covering the Umerkot district and 30 union councils of Tharparkar in Sindh, a part of the Thar desert region.
The project aims to support agricultural innovation, livestock genetic improvement, disease control systems, sustainable natural resource management and technology transfer to farming communities.
It also focuses on value addition for exports, including a dehydration plant, dried vegetables and Ber for export, while introducing modern technologies under the E-Pakistan initiative, such as modern diagnostics, genotyping and Radio Frequency Identification systems.
The initiative will particularly target poor Thari communities to support poverty reduction and strengthen local livelihoods. As part of its empowerment strategy, the project plans to build capacity and train more than 2,000 farmers.
Environmental interventions include afforestation, arid horticulture and rainwater recharge through TARAI, which contribute to climate resilience in desert ecosystems.
Among the project’s key objectives is the establishment of livestock and horticulture research institutes at PARC-AZRI Umerkot to improve livestock productivity, enhance genetic improvement of indigenous breeds, strengthen disease diagnostics and control, and develop demonstration sites for arid horticulture.
The initiative also aims to build community capacity for sustainable ecosystem management and livelihood improvement.
According to the document, the project will convert 180 acres of wasteland into productive land and develop infrastructure for location-specific research and demonstration activities at the project site.
Research activities will cover livestock, range, land and water management and arid horticulture, supported by the provision of machinery and field implements for research and field operations.
The project will also promote silage making for livestock and establish facilities for soil, water and plant analysis, livestock services, animal insemination and biotechnology laboratories to support advisory services for researchers, extension workers, NGOs and local farming communities.
These services will help provide proper fertilizer recommendations to enhance agricultural crop productivity by up to 30-35%, while strengthening research and infrastructure facilities in the region.
According to the document, the initiative aligns with national priorities, including the 5Es Framework, the 13th Five-Year Plan, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the National Agriculture Innovation and Growth Programme (NAIGP).