ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has started rice seeds distribution in Balochistan to protect flood-affected people from poverty and food insecurity.

Through the Balochistan Urgent Response for Food Security Project, the FAO, in close coordination with the Balochistan government, Asian Development Bank and Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), is responding to the livelihood and food security needs of flood-affected people of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Usta Muhammad and Sohbatpur districts.

Along with rice seeds, 60,000 farming households would receive safer and more durable small tools and protective footwear in flood-hit districts of Balochistan.

Apart from this, the FAO would support women’s livelihood in agriculture sector by providing protective footwear to 7,500 women labourers to enable safe rice transplanting activities.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the project on Wednesday, Balochistan Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Mir Asad Baloch said that the provincial government was determined to achieve prosperity of the province through developing the agricultural sector.

FAO’s International Programme Coordinator for Balochistan Waleed Mahdi also spoke on the occasion. He said that through the distribution of climate adaptive (resilient) certified rice seeds among flood-affected farmers of Balochistan, “we are not only providing immediate support, but also sowing the seeds of hope and resilience”.

“The quality seeds will cover approximately 180,000 acres of land and expected to enhance crop yield by 10 to 20 per cent. By enabling farmers to restart their livelihood, we aim to uplift communities, combat food insecurity and alleviate poverty,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 27TH, 2023