Quetta, February 4, 2018.
A four-day workshop on Market Systems and Private Sector Development was conducted in Quetta from January 30 - February 2, 2018. The training was jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Market Development Facility (MDF). 17 participants included staff from FAO and MDF as well as staff from the Government of Balochistan (Agriculture Extension Department) and the Agricultural Value Chain Collaborative Research project (AVCCR).
FAO, MDF and AVCCR are funded by the Australian Government and FAO implements the Australia Balochistan Agri business Programme (AusABBA) in cooperation with the Government of Baluchistan and MDF. The AusABBA programme is operational in six districts in south west Baluchistan.
MDF supports businesses with innovative ideas, investment and regulatory reforms that will increase business performance, stimulate economic growth and ultimately provide benefits for the poor, including workers, producers, and consumers.
However in Balochistan due to security, political and economic reasons the private sector is not very active and markets are not well functioning. As a result farmers face difficulties with the marketing of their produce and farmers are deprived of good quality seeds, fertilizers, feed, vaccines, agricultural credit and other essential inputs and services. The objectives of AusABBA are among others to develop economically viable value chains on crops and livestock, benefitting the farmers and to advance agribusiness in Balochistan.
The private sector is considered as an engine of economic growth and in order to be able to partner with a variety of businesses, who should be willing and able to invest in improved business practices, including more affordable products and services or providing better information, it was felt necessary to upgrade the skills of project staff and the GoB extension department on Market Systems and Private Sector Development.
Market system development involves strengthening the product-to-market systems and the objectives of the training were how to analyze market, to design effective interventions and how to make markets work better for the farmers. Participants learned how to develop market system incentives to improve performance, productivity, trade, and ultimately to generate increased income for the farmers in Balochistan and their families.
By the end of the training all participants agreed that the tools, skills and methods that were learned and practiced on real life cases from Balochistan will be very helpful for the implementation of the AusABBA programme. As a result of their training the FAO and GOB team will be able to better facilitate farmers and their organizations (mostly Farmers Marketing Collectives) at district and provincial level to improve the production and marketing of dates, onions, sheep and goats, wool, nursery trees, vegetables and other important commodities in Balochistan.