Chitral – Agribusiness Cluster
This cluster will have a focus on the promotion of fruits, high value vegetable aromatic plants, fisheries, and livestock. The cluster will consist of 2 districts Chitral upper and Chitral lower. The key interventions and activities are stated below;
Intervention Areas
Activities
Pome & stone fruits
– Support nursery growers’ professional farmer organizations for establishment of screen houses, nurseries.
– Support to nursery growers in registration and certification of plants and nurseries.
– Technical assistance in Capacity building of their workers, technicians etc.
– Support to PFOs in establishment of commercial orchards.
– Support to farmers and organizations in value addition in fresh, processed, dried.
– Mobilizing investment in fruits processing, packaging and export.
– Support to farmers and FOs in commercial production of strawberry runners.
– Mobilizing investors through grant support for strawberry processing, export.
Off-Season & High Value Vegetables
– Introduction of improved varieties and new technologies for OS/HV vegetable production.
– Grant support to PFOs in establishment of aggregation centers.
– Introduction of improved packaging.
– Mobilizing private sector investment in vegetable processing i.e chips, paste, ketchup, frozen etc.
– Support to farmers in market access and linkages.
– Capacity building of Fos along the value chain.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
– Capacity building of collectors in specie identification, harvest, postharvest management, and marketing.
– Establishment of linkages with potential markets/industry.
– Supporting private sector investment in MAP nurseries.
– Support to industry in system improvement, certification, and branding.
Wool & Woolen Products
– Training of farmers in sheering of sheep.
– Training of artisans in yarn making.
– Woolen shawls, sweaters, caps etc. production training.
– Supporting private sector investment in establishment of woolen products’ display centers.
– Support in developing market linkages.
Nuts
– Farmers’ training in harvest and post-harvest management of nuts including cracking, packing, oil expelling.
– Support in establishing processing facilities at PFO level.
– Introduction of improved packing
– Establishing market linkages
– Establishment of temperate fruit nurseries with PFOs
Small ruminant
– Capacity building of farmers in raring small ruminants.
– Support in breed improvement in small ruminant.
– Mobilizing private sector in establishment of meat processing and value addition.
– Capacity building of butchers in standardized meat cuts and establishment of meat shops.
– Support in production of improved fodders.
– Market access and linkages.
Others
– Identified based on the market studies and business planning exercise to be carried out in the first year of the project implementation.