A range of problems in the agriculture sector in South Western border districts of Balochistan will be addressed simultaneously capturing some specific opportunities in the agriculture sector through the Australia Balochistan Agri-business Programme-Phase Two (AusABBA II) .

Programme implementation

Implementation of AusABBA II began with a planning workshop in Quetta led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). A Grant Agreement between the Government of Australia, represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and FAO to enable AusABBA II was signed earlier this month. The Balochistan provincial Departments of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Livestock and Dairy Development are also on board as AusABBA II programme partners.

Promoting best practices and empowering men and women farmers

The objective of the Australia Balochistan Agribusiness Programme (AusABBA II) is to help households engaged in agriculture in South Western Balochistan adopt sustainable, profitable and diversified strategies in an enabling environment that increases their incomes, food security and nutritional status.
To achieve this AusABBA II will train male and female farmers and strengthen supply chains and eventually connect farmers with markets for Balochistan specific commodities such as onions, fruit trees, goat and sheep meat, seed, wool and dates. By doing so, it is also envisaged that the project will facilitate and engage private sector companies in the development of the province.
Major outputs of AusABBA II are also planned for women’s economic empowerment, livelihoods and enhancing the nutritional status of the communities, especially of mothers and young children within the Districts.
The project will ensure that women and their households in the Districts economically benefit from the interventions and at least 25% of the direct and indirect project beneficiaries will be female. This will be realized through a focus on and introduction of activities in the supply chain that can be conducted by women and have a potential to generate income and become profitable for women, but also have a positive impact on the nutritional status of the family. Examples include integrated homestead gardens (vegetable kitchen gardens), sheep fattening, vegetables and dates grading and packaging, fruit drying and seedling production.

Target areas and stakeholders

AusABBA II will cover the Chagai, Kech, Kharan, Nushki, Panjgur and Washuk districts of South West Balochistan, near the Afghan/Iranian border. Key beneficiaries and partners of AusABBA II are resource-poor, male and female crop and livestock farmers organized in informal Farmer Marketing Collectives (FMCs). Traders, exporters, processors, wholesalers and fresh buyers of modern and traditional retail and wholesale markets will also benefit.

Partnership with the Government of Balochistan
The Government of Balochistan is a key AusABBA partner and will provide technical and logistical support to the project for successful implementation of the field programs.

Background

AusABBA phase II builds on the achievements and lessons learned of previous USAID and former AusAID (now DFAT) funded programmes implemented by FAO in Balochistan and is a six-year partnership between Balochistan, the Australian Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.