Looking at the impact of field activities is crucial for informed decision-making and improved efficiency, sustainability and accountability. FAO Representative in Pakistan, Florence Rolle along with the Assistant FAO Representative, Dr. Aamer Irshad and provincial team of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) visited different interventions under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) funded projects to gauge the impact on life, food and economic security of the FAO-assisted farmers especially women.

FAO team’s trip included visits to several market infrastructure, tunnel farms, fruit plant nurseries, farm services centers (FSCs), potato cellars, grape vineyards, pack-houses, and food processing facilities in various villages of Khyber and Kurram districts.

Under the USAID-funded Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture Project in merged districts of KP, farmers got trained how to sustainably manage their fruit nurseries on commercial basis. This not only boosted orchard farming at local level but also helped farmers to increase their income from the nursery enterprise.

In Kurram district, FAO was implementing the USAID-funded “The Horticulture Advancement Activity (THAzA)” that supported potato and grapes value chains by introducing and inspiring locals to test and adopt useful innovations.

During these visits, the team had the opportunity to interact with local farmers and gather feedback on the impact of the project interventions on their lives. The farmers shared their positive experiences with the support, information and awareness they received through the FAO projects, which has resulted in a significant improvement in their income.

Fazli Amin, a beneficiary of the USAID-funded Subsistence and Commercial Agriculture Project, shared that his income has significantly increased since the renovation and equipment of his meat shop by FAO. Previously, he would hardly sell 20-40 kilograms of meat per day, but now he sells 200 kilograms or more. Similarly, a farmer from Khyber district shared that he generated PKR 500,000 from his guava plants, which is almost triple to the amount he generated earlier.

The team also met with beneficiaries of the walk-the-chain and inquired about their linkages developed because of the FAO's interventions, particularly the seed cellars for potato. Farmers reported a bumper production from the FAO-introduced SM Kaghan seed potato variety and the facilitation they had from the cellars for storing seed potato for next season. Owners of the cellars shared that the construction of potato cellars in the local area had attracted many growers to replicate this technology, and they plan to expand it to meet the needs of their fellow farmers. This technology not only helps in storing seed potato but also table potato for a longer duration with zero cost, contributing to overall savings.

Furthermore, FAO team also visited the newly constructed pack-house in village Kirman, Kurram district, which will help farmers in sorting, grading, and packing their produce. The women owner of the pack house shared that she learnt about the pack-house's request for applications (RFA) from the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) when her son attended an orientation session organized under THAzA and AED. The family previously used a temporary facility for grading and packing their produce, but with this improved and permanent facility, they can now keep their produce ready for marketing for two to three additional days, which can be beneficial in case of unfavorable weather conditions or other emergencies. The family plans to utilize the facility for different crops such as tomato, potato, onions, red beans, wheat, maize, and chili.

During her visit, FAOR expressed her admiration for the Farm Services Center (FSC) business model established at tehsil level, under a public-private partnership initiative. She recognized the potential of the FSC in becoming a ‘game changer’ in the province, especially in the merged areas, by promoting ‘economies of scale’ for smallholder farmers through a business and investment plan and expanding its scope for member farmers.

During the trip, FAOR inaugurated an irrigation channel, recently developed under the INL project. In addition to the interaction with the beneficiary farmers, the team also held meetings with relevant line departments in the districts. This provided a better understanding of the ground realities to make informed decisions for the benefit of the local communities.