Islamabad, 10 August - The Sub-Committee on Production, Processing and Marketing (S-CP) of the Task Force on Horticulture Finance and Competitiveness met today under the chairmanship of Muhammad Salim Khan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock (MinFAL) at the PARC Auditorium. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the various relevant ministries, concerned provincial departments and the Agri-business and marketing companies.

Salim Khan briefed the members of the sub-committee and informed the members about the aim of the Sub-Committee on Production, Processing and Marketing (S-CP). He said that “the objective of the S-CP is to help the Task Force to achieve its goal via consideration of all the activities and projects being undertaken at federal and provincial level related to the main elements of the horticulture value chain”.

He further informed the members that the Sub-Committee will work with the stakeholders in horticulture throughout the value chain to coordinate and facilitate initiatives currently being taken to develop better seeds and planting material, improve the use of agricultural inputs, cultivate crops using best practices, harvest the crops in ways that preserve quality and shelf-life, undertake primary and secondary processing and improve the value-added of the crops of all grades both at home and abroad. Where necessary the Sub-Committee will identify areas that require further intervention and liaise with the relevant line ministries, agencies and institutions to bring these about. Because the SC-P has a large subject domain, it is likely that the Sub-Committee will separate into three working groups covering the principle areas of the value-chain.

The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) was earlier tasked by the Ministry of Finance to undertake a comprehensive study entitled “The Competitive Advantage of the Food Processing Industry: Focus on Quality, Safety and Standards”.

Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Support for CSF is part of the $1.5 billion in aid that the U.S. Government is providing to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, and governance.

Senior Advisor to the Competitiveness Support Fund, Geoff Quartermaine Bastin, informed the S-CP that in order to achieve the aims and goals of the Task Force, the Sub-Committee will consider all aspects of the value chain from production and (where applicable) processing through to domestic and foreign consumption. He further said that the work of the SC-P will be conducted in the context of a National Policy for Horticulture being developed by MinFAL (Agribusiness Development & Diversification Project). The institutional aspects of the industry will be considered with each agency identified and its role clearly established.

The principal work of the SC-P will be to identify, list and review the current and proposed list of initiatives and projects (federal, donor-based and provincial) to advise the Task Force about the how resources can be better managed to improve the performance (especially for exports) of the industry. The SC-P will also identify “success” stories in each of the main areas of the value chain and establish what success factors were present.

“The appreciative approach will seek to divert attention from failure and suggest how positive approaches have worked in different parts of the industry. The SC-P will then suggest how they can be emulated”, said Bastin.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashraf Hashmi told the members that the SC-P will liaise with all the other sub-committees and use their work in its deliberations; this will be facilitated by the Secretariat and the S-C will report to the Task Force Implementation Committee via the Secretariat established by the Chair (MinFAL) and will liaise closely with the Competitiveness Support Fund in its day-to-day activities.

The Sub-Committee later developed sub-groups on Production and Processing & Marketing. Both the groups later on submitted their proposals to be sent to the implementation committee for the incorporation of its recommendations for the National Horticulture Policy.

The meeting heard that the critical issues at the farm level were the provision of low cost and good quality inputs (such as seeds and fertilizers) and access to good planting material. There was a need to ensure the quality of fruits and vegetables leaving the farm. Strengthening farmers' organisations was necessary so farmers could receive a greater share of value added. With regard to processing and marketing, the meeting heard that a business environment that favored investment was essential if technology was to be transferred to the industry. Better infrastructure was required. Research and development needed to receive adequate support and links between academia and the private sector should be encouraged. In general, industry stakeholders needed to be exposed to international best practices and feedback from the buyers on issues such as quality standards was essential.

The SC-P will report to the Task Force Implementation Committee via the Secretariat established under the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock and will liaise closely with the Competitiveness Support Fund in its day-to-day activities. Due to the importance of finance and the role of the commercial banks, the Task Force was placed under the Ministry of Finance to enhance the finance and competitiveness of the horticulture sector.

The Competitiveness Support Fund has been created to support Pakistan’s goal to have a competitive economy by providing input into policy decisions, working to improve regulatory and administrative frameworks and enhancing public-private partnerships within the country. CSF also provides technical assistance and co-financing for initiatives related to entrepreneurship, business incubators and private-sector-led initiatives with research institutes and universities that contribute to creating a knowledge-driven economy.

- ENDS -