Quetta, Balochistan 12 July 2023: To mobilize policy support for driving a sectoral development and fostering climate-smart practices in agriculture and fisheries, the Government of Balochistan (GoB) joins hands with The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through a Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF) agreement signed at the FAO Office in Quetta yesterday (12 July). The collaboration will be implemented through Gwadar – Lasbela Livelihood Support Project (GLLSP-II), a project financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan, and Rehmat Dashti, Project Director, GLLSP-II signed the agreement.

Jointly implemented by GOB the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), FAO, and the World Food Programme (WFP), the six-year project aims to promote climate-resilient agriculture and livestock farming systems, empower smallholder with knowledge and skills and enable them to build better resilience.

FAO will provide technical assistance to the project, which will employ the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach. Through FFS, the project seeks to create an inclusive learning environment that fosters knowledge sharing and skill development among farmers. GLLSP II is committed to promoting gender equality and youth engagement, ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to benefit from the program. The project will also provide policy support to create enabling condition in the fisheries sector, which will benefit 100,000 rural households in Gwadar and Lasbela districts.