ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is working out $100m financial assistance plan for Pakistan agribusiness development project to be launched in 2004, an official source told Dawn on Wednesday.

For the proper utilization of the financial assistance for agriculture diversification and agribusiness development, the official said a fact-finding mission of the ADB was currently holding a series of meetings with the government agencies and private sector to formulate a comprehensive technical assistance paper in this connection.

The mission would stay in Pakistan up to November 7, the official said adding during the period, the mission was scheduled to visit Lahore, Multan and Karachi to study various areas under technical assistance for its subsequent financial assistance.

Elaborating, the official said the technical assistance paper was aimed at assisting the Pakistani government in formulating a project to commercialize agriculture, develop agribusiness and promote agriculture exports.

The mission was led by Senior Project Economist at the South Asia Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Division, ADB headquarter, Ms Al Tee Loh.

This technical assistance, the official said, was a part of ADB’s operational programme for Pakistan for 2002.

The mission during the stay would undertake in-depth consultations with government agencies and private sector institutions to finally come up with a technical assistance paper.

According to the official, the possible indicative areas for study under technical assistance and subsequent financial assistance would be fruits and vegetables to be utilized for its quality control, disease control, grading, waxing, packing facilities, training, mango-sand fly testing and treatment facility and cold chains for mango, apple and strawberries.

The other areas of the study for the assistance would be wheat quality control laboratories, rice genetic testing facilities for basmati, floriculture, baseline survey of horticulture resources and other facilities.