LARKANA: A six member team of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on Wednesday evening discussed with divisional and district administration, heads of different departments and stakeholders the chances of establishing a rural growth centre in Larkana.

The UNIDO team including Nima Irani, Mr Cornelius, Badarul Islam, Qasar Wasique, Carlo from European Union and Hafeez Ahmed Jatoi from SMEDA briefed Larkana Commissioner Ganhwar Ali Laghari, Deputy Commissioner Raiba Siyal and others on the rural growth centre in a sub-division of the district.

The team members said the centre aimed at improving peoples’ income resources, raising peoples’ standard of living and improving financial base.

The commissioner underlined the need for concentrating on producing skilled manpower so that trained worker could easily find out avenues of jobs not only in the country but abroad as well.

He suggested increasing number of rural growth centres from one to four in Larkana district so as to serve the masses maximally.

Deputy Commissioner Raiba Siyal discussed post-Covid and post-flood situation in the district and the immediate requirements to recuperate the losses.

She shed light on potential of guava orchards and crops of rice, tomatoes, pulses and called for introducing new technologies for better agricultural outcomes.

She said that guava orchards were spread over 3,062 hectares and the fruit production was 23,371 metric tonnes while berry orchards were spread over 65 hectares with 394 metric tonnes production and mango orchards were spread over 712 hectares with 4,969 tonnes production.

She said that Larkana had poverty rate of 52.8 per cent and the district was predominately rural as its 71 pc population resided in rural areas whereas 29 pc lived in urban areas where average household size was 5.9 members.

The growth rate according to 2017 census was 3.36pc while the current census estimated the growth rate at 20pc, she said adding that over 40pc population was jobless.

The divisional and district administration convinced the visiting UN team after getting input from stakeholders to consider establishing four rural growth units with focus on preparing skilled people.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2023