ISLAMABAD: The Japan Inter­national Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Monday announced a contribution of $1.3 million to support pest control operations and enhance food and nutrition security of locust-affected small farmers in Sindh and Balochistan.

The contribution by JICA will support the work being done by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

The support was announced during the signing of the project between FAO and JICA in Islamabad on Monday. JICA Chief Representative in Pakistan Furuta Shigeki and Acting FAO Representative Rebekah Bell signed the project agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

To support the livelihoods of desert locust-affected farming communities and enhance the food security of smallholder farmers’ households, the project will be implemented in Kharan district in Balochistan and Umerkot district of Sindh province. The two districts were identified based on consultation with provincial agriculture departments and findings of the Food Security and Livelihood Assessments.

The thirteen-month project will focus on enhancing food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural households with pregnant and lactating women through an integrated approach which seeks to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of household food production.

It includes an experiential nutrition education programme. About 18,370 people will directly benefit from this project.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021