Peshawar, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP BOIT) have come together to host the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture and Food Summit, aiming to stimulate investment in agriculture through Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) arrangements for sustainable agrifood system transformation.
According to United Nation Pakistan, the summit, attended by over 300 participants, served as a matchmaking platform for potential private investors, start-ups, academia, and commercial banks. The event facilitated the mobilization of private sector investment in selected commodities, with around 30 small businesses and start-ups from the private sector showcasing their products and networking to enhance their business prospects.
Booths set up for B2B meetings provided opportunities for investors to connect with agriculture companies, exchanging knowledge and exploring available options for transforming the agriculture and food sector. Aamer Irshad, Head of Program, FAO Pakistan, in his opening remarks, highlighted the decreasing investment in agriculture, resulting in challenges in food production and impacting hunger and food security. He introduced the Hand-in-Hand initiative (HiHi) by the FAO Director-General, aimed at addressing poverty and food security challenges while promoting investment in the agriculture sector.
Farrukh Toirov, Head of the FAO office in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, outlined FAO’s focus on subsectors such as horticulture, crop production, livestock, forestry, apiculture, and floriculture. He detailed how small businesses benefit from FAO interventions like off-season vegetable production and drip irrigation systems to enhance productivity.
Iqbal Sarwar, Director of Business Facilitation at KP-BOIT, emphasized the summit’s significance and presented on the role of KP-BOIT and various initiatives taken by the KP Government. The event also featured speakers from the State Bank of Pakistan, Board of Investment, livestock and agriculture departments, USAID, Karandaz, and others, discussing challenges in the agriculture sector and proposing reforms and policy actions.
Sessions covering topics such as agribusiness, agri-tourism, financial assistance opportunities, tea cultivation, slaughterhouse establishment, and olive oil potential were held. A panel discussion explored the opportunities, challenges, and future prospects for investment in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries to enhance agricultural competitiveness.
The event concluded with B2B and B2G meetings and a visit to the stalls, marking a step forward in fostering investment and sustainable management in Pakistan’s agriculture sector.