JICA To Provide US $1.3 Million To FAO For Ensuring Food Security Of Locust Affected Areas

ISLAMABAD, Mar 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Mar, 2021 ) :Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would provide US $ 1.3 million to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support pest control operations, besides enhancing food and nutrition security of locust-affected smallholder farmers.

In this regard an agreement was signed in a ceremony held here, attended by JICA Chief Representative in Pakistan, Furutu Shigeki, and ad interim Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative, Rebekah Bell and signed the project agreement.

To support the livelihoods of desert locust-affected farming communities and enhance the food security of smallholder farmers' households, the project would work in Kharan district in Balochistan and Umerkot district of Sindh province.

These districts were identified on consultation with provincial agriculture departments and findings of Food Security and Livelihood Assessments, said a press release issued by FAO.

This 13-month project would focus on enhancing food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural households with pregnant and lactating women through an integrated approach, which sought to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of household food production, and included an experiential nutrition education program. About 18,370 people will directly benefit.

Meanwhile, locust surveillance and control activities would focus on building the capacity of the Department of Plant Protection to help it identify and control future locust outbreaks.

Speaking on the occasion, JICA Chief Representative Furutu Shigeki said like East Africa, middle East and South Asia, Pakistan too has suffered the damage caused by desert locust swarms, adding that JICA recognized the need for immediate assistance to Pakistan and implemented an emergency support to livelihoods of farmers affected by locust in October last year.

For continuing its assistance, JICA endeavored to restore livelihood support for farmers. They expect to strengthen locust control capacity and resilience in the medium to long term and the collaboration with FAO would contribute to achieving that goal, he added.

JICA is currently promoting cooperation with development partners, and this project will further strengthen the FAO-JICA Memorandum of Cooperation, which was concluded in 2017. JICA is currently implementing agricultural and livestock technical cooperation project in Balochistan and Sindh provinces, he added.

JICA has also funded an agriculture and livelihood project being implemented by FAO in ex-FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, he said adding that JICA intended to continue its work with FAO and other development partners to contribute to the development of the Pakistani agricultural sector by taking the best of its strengths.

Thanking JICA for its financial assistance and long-term partnership, FAO representative in Pakistan, Rebekah Bell said through our collaboration with the governments of Balochistan and Sindh, this project would make a significant contribution to address food and nutrition insecurity of vulnerable rural households.

Our research suggested that by increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of household food production that families were able to consume a healthier diet thatwould hopefully, in the longer term, contribute to the prevention of child stunting and wasting and improved food security, she added.

FAO has remained at the forefront of support to the Government of Pakistan in combating the desert locust invasion and strengthening the capabilities and capacities of institutions in desert locust surveillance and control operations, she remarked.