My OperaIntegrating Mountain Agri-Produce into the National and International Market
Friday, September 11, 2009 9:19:57 AM
By Aly Sakhi
Mountain agri-produces have been exposed to the market but are not being integrated into it. The major problem to integrate the mountain economy into the national and international market is the ineffective value chain or gaps in the value chain of the agri-produce. The agri-experts can plan for a transition from meager exposure to systematic integration in to the market.
For systematic integration its imperative to bring some changes in the structure of mountain agri-production from basically subsistence mode to commercialized production system. This can not be left to the farmers or market force. It can be deliberately planned and organized with careful evaluation of the potentials for commercial production at different altitudes.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, AKRSP since 1983 has put a lot of efforts into horticulture, by offering the farmers of Northern Areas and Chitral number of development packages over the years. These include; new and improved fruit introduction, homogeneous horticulture practice, Commercial fruit production, and market linkages, establishment of model orchards and nurseries and capacity building programmes. It has supplied 1.27 million fruit trees since its inception and around 4 million agriculture specialists have been trained in the programme area (AKRSP’s annual report 2001).
Besides AKRSP’s interventions, a lot of provision to improve the sector, Provision of technical services required for such system, development of post harvest techniques, particularly in agricultural processing and market support system that provide increased opportunity in off farm employment and an aggressive marketing strategy backed by a realistic pricing system and well organized farmer-based institutions. AKRSP, with the financial support of Agribusiness Support Fund, Lahore ASF) has planed to establish Apex mountain community Enterprises in different geographic regions. Local Support Organizations, (LSO) can assist the farmers in the Production side by offering different training programmes, but in marketing side only self motivated and real entrepreneurs can make a difference by integrating the agri-produce in the wider market and get maximum return.
Mountain agri-produces have been exposed to the market but are not being integrated into it. The major problem to integrate the mountain economy into the national and international market is the ineffective value chain or gaps in the value chain of the agri-produce. The agri-experts can plan for a transition from meager exposure to systematic integration in to the market.
For systematic integration its imperative to bring some changes in the structure of mountain agri-production from basically subsistence mode to commercialized production system. This can not be left to the farmers or market force. It can be deliberately planned and organized with careful evaluation of the potentials for commercial production at different altitudes.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, AKRSP since 1983 has put a lot of efforts into horticulture, by offering the farmers of Northern Areas and Chitral number of development packages over the years. These include; new and improved fruit introduction, homogeneous horticulture practice, Commercial fruit production, and market linkages, establishment of model orchards and nurseries and capacity building programmes. It has supplied 1.27 million fruit trees since its inception and around 4 million agriculture specialists have been trained in the programme area (AKRSP’s annual report 2001).
Besides AKRSP’s interventions, a lot of provision to improve the sector, Provision of technical services required for such system, development of post harvest techniques, particularly in agricultural processing and market support system that provide increased opportunity in off farm employment and an aggressive marketing strategy backed by a realistic pricing system and well organized farmer-based institutions. AKRSP, with the financial support of Agribusiness Support Fund, Lahore ASF) has planed to establish Apex mountain community Enterprises in different geographic regions. Local Support Organizations, (LSO) can assist the farmers in the Production side by offering different training programmes, but in marketing side only self motivated and real entrepreneurs can make a difference by integrating the agri-produce in the wider market and get maximum return.
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