ISLAMABAD:The US government on Mondaylaunched a new five-year $24 million ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’ project in Pakistan that is designed to support farmers with sustainable tools and practices – suitable for business and the environment.

“We will focus on better farming practices and technology; new digital tools; and assistance with business models, financing, and international connections. These programmes will improve crop yield while helping the environment - and putting more money in farmers’ pockets. Together, we’re planting the seeds of success,” said US Ambassador Donald Blome while launching the project at the University of Faisalabad.

The five-year investment (2025-29) will equip farmers with climate resilient seeds, conservation practices and eco-friendly pest management to help communities adapt to a changing climate.

The climate-smart agriculture concept reflects an ambition to improve the integration of agriculture development and climate responsiveness. It aims to achieve food security and broader development goals under a changing climate and increasing food demand.

Project designed to support farmers with tools, practices

Elaborating details of the project, Ambassador Blome said: “Today, we are partnering with Pakistan to respond to climate change. Agriculture both affects -- and is affected by --climate change. Unpredictable weather, heatwaves, and irregular rainfall are making it harder for farmers to grow the crops that support their families and feed the nation. We all know how important it is that agriculture in Pakistan continues to grow and thrive.”

Together, we are working to help Pakistan become more resilient to climate threats. Through the US-Pakistan “Green Alliance” framework, the US is making strategic investments in renewable energy, water management, and smart agriculture to help better position Pakistan to mitigate and adapt, to meet the threat of climate change head-on. We have also contributed $1 billion to the Green Climate Fund and have unlocked millions of these dollars in climate mitigation and adaptation projects to enhance Pakistan’s resilience, he said.

In agriculture alone, US investments have benefited more than one million rural households, and have helped farms and firms increase the value of their sales by more than $1.47 billion and create more than 100,000 new jobs.

The project will ensure Pakistani farmers can access cutting-edge agricultural technology to improve productivity. This includes supporting partnerships among researchers, businesses, and farmers’ organisations to ensure that newly-developed, improved seeds are available to farmers.

“We will work with farmers to introduce modern machinery that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the planting process. We will also introduce automated irrigation systems to ensure water is used effectively, which is crucial in regions dealing with water scarcity. We will also make new technology available for crop monitoring, farm management, and weather forecasting. All of this translates into more productive crops, US ambassador said.

Under the new project, the US government will help farmers bring their goods to market and maximise their profits. This will be done by connecting farmers with financial services to help them buy better seeds, tools, and machinery.

The United States and Pakistan have a long and strong partnership in agriculture. Over half a century ago, a U.S. scientist partnered with Pakistani colleagues to revolutionize agriculture here and around the world. The story of Dr Norman Borlaug and his work with Dr Mohammad Manzur Bajwa is one of an enduring US-Pakistani partnership helping to bind our two countries together in friendship. The resulting strain of wheat enabled Pakistan to double its wheat production between 1965 and 1970. This extraordinary yield was known as the “Green Revolution” - a term coined in 1968 by USAID administrator William Gaud.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024