US Consul General Lahore Nina Fite has said that United States is committed to promote the economic development of Pakistan. One of important element of this commitment is US support to local farmers with programmes to build their business capacity and generate higher incomes. These views were expressed by her at the concluding session of a three-day training programme ‘GlobalGAP Train the Trainer Programme’ organized by Agribusiness Support Fund under USAID’s Agribusiness Project. Thirty people across the livestock sector participated in the training held in collaboration with M/s FoodPlus GmbH Germany. The program trained the participants in GlobalGAP certification, a standard for dairy and meat exportation required by many European and international markets. By implementing these standards, Pakistani meat and dairy producers will be able to export to wider markets, growing their businesses and boosting Pakistan’s economy. Nina Fite maintained higher incomes would improve farmers’ lives and the lives of their families. “Programs, like this USAID-funded training, will have a direct and positive impact on the lives of Pakistanis through the promotion of livestock entrepreneurship,” Consul General Fite continued. She regretted that Pakistan’s current level of livestock exports is very low and trainings of this kind are first step to improve exports. She hoped that it would go a long way in improving the livestock management in this country also. Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) Chief Executive Officer Khalid Khan speaking on this occasion threw light on the objectives of the workshop and various projects being carried out by the organization for the benefit of farmers’ community of Pakistan in sectors like livestock, agriculture and horticulture. Dr. Roland (trainer) and Dr. Dilshad (representatives of the participants) also spoke on this occasion and shared their experiences of the programme and benefits they would be deriving out of this exercise. Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP) is an international private body that sets voluntary international standards for the certification of agricultural production processes. Certification under GlobalGAP is becoming increasingly important and a requirement of most retailers in European and international markets. The training enables the participants to implement GlobalGAP standards in Pakistan for the first time.
