The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

The four-year USAID Firms Project began in May 2009, and is aimed to improve government service delivery and to develop dynamic, internationally competitive firms to accelerate sales, investment, and job growth. Horticulture sector is one of the significant contributors to the GDP of Pakistan and has a high potential of employment generation and export. In view of these factors, the Firms Project first intervened in Pakistan's Mango Sector to improve orchard management systems and cultural practices and to provide technical and financial assistance to farmers for their GlobalGAP certification. In the last three years, the capacity of more than 1000 mango orchards was enhanced to get high yield with good quality. So far, 30 mango farms have achieved GlobalGAP certification with the help of technical and financial assistance of the project. Moreover, 15 new on-farm pack houses, equipped with blast chiller, cold storage, hot water treatment, processing line etc., have become functional, which will accelerate mango export. The project also undertook successful trial sea shipments to high end European markets to prove its viability, which would help export large volume of mangoes to the European Union (EU) with less cost. Pakistan is not in the business of dried mangoes, but is expanding exponentially. The project introduced first-time local dried mangoes in Pakistan and dispatched sample shipments to the United States and the EU to gauge market response. Also, Pakistan is the 4^th largest date producer in the world, but it exports 95% of dates in dried form to regional counties with a very small share of fresh dates for table purpose. To improve the economic value generated by the date sector, the Firms Project started work on the entire value chain by improving production practices and decreasing preharvest losses by introducing Tyvek bags and improving the harvesting, storage, and processing techniques; and providing technical and financial support. In collaboration with the PepsiCo International, the USAID Firms project contracted with 500 potato growers to cultivate the 'Lady Rosetta' potato on their farms with a buy back guarantee of the quality produce in conflict-hit area of Swat (KPK) so that local farmers can get better returns. This initiative also generated immense employment opportunities. FIRM Project strategy revolves around developing the capacity of stakeholders, ensuring sustainability, promoting gender, providing technical and financial support, and developing market linkages. All these are leading to higher sales, more exports and greater number of employment opportunities.