Farming households in Khyber and Kurram agencies of FATA have received assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to rebuild their lives as they continue to return to their homes after years of displacement.
A total of 77,200 households (33,143 in Khyber and 44,057 in Kurram Agency) of FATA received this assistance which helped the returning small holder farmers to produce food and earn income for their families.
Farmers were provided high quality seeds for wheat, maize, oats and different vegetables. They also received help for keeping their livestock healthy. Land was reclaimed to make it fit for cultivation and irrigation channels constructed to provide water for the crops.
This assistance was provided to the farmers under the Project for Assistance to the Recovery and Development of the Agricultural Economy in FATA. The project concluded on July 31st. It accomplished restoration of farm productivity and agriculture based livelihoods by rebuilding productive assets, and strengthening the productive skills of the returnees, and by developing capacity of the public and private sector service providers.
A ceremony was held at the FAO Representation Office in Islamabad to mark the conclusion of the project. It was attended by the Ambassador of Japan Takashi Kurai, JICA Pakistan chief representative Yasuhiro Tojo and top officials from development agencies and representatives of the government of Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Takashi Kurai said: "We have supported recovery of FATA including rehabilitation of community infrastructure. In addition to assistance to provide these basic services, the recovery of livelihood of returnees is very important for stable lives of returnees and stable return of TDPs and this project is a part of these assistance. Japan will continue assisting people of Pakistan, including returnees in FATA and TDPs to keep peace in this country."
While expressing his views, Yasuhiro Tojo said: "One of the most important components of this project is the capacity-building of women, who are vastly contributing to the agricultural economy of the region. Therefore, to train them to impart the appropriate knowledge on farming and livestock is crucial to ensure the sustainability of FATA."
Highlighting the achievements of the project Minà Dowlatchahi, the FAO Representative to Pakistan said: "It is important that we assist the government of Pakistan in fulfilling its responsibilities in enabling the safe return of the displaced persons to their homes. In this connection, we appreciate our strategic partnership with JICA. With the support from JICA and the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan, FAO has assisted a significant number of displaced persons and helped them begin a better life by revitalising agriculture based livelihoods, economy and contributing to a more stable society. We hope that this partnership will continue so that we can play our part in ensuring better and healthier lives for the people of FATA."
Appreciating the project, FATA Secretariat Production and Livelihood Secretary Abdul Latif Khan said: "The assistance from JICA and the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan not only helped the FATA people to fulfil their economic and food security pressing needs but also played an important role in maintaining peace in the area by creating livelihoods and job opportunities."
Farmers who had travelled to Islamabad to take part in this ceremony briefed participants on how they had benefitted from this project.