Muneeb ur Rehman

The United Nations Economic Transformative Initiative (ETI) in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is yielding positive results in terms of economic uplift of households. Speaking to WealthPK in this regard, Ehsan Mir, programme coordinator ETI-GB, said that the initiative was designed to reach the region's communities with sparse financial resources to generate employment, improve income and maintain food security in their respective villages. “The initiative is amplifying the regional economic activity of over 50,000 small-scale farmers by extending financial and technical support to village cooperatives. This support is specifically targeted at 20 agricultural commodities and covers various stages, including production, value chain development, processing and marketing activities,” he explained.

Ehsan Mir mentioned that the region was mostly mountainous, with limited arable land for small farmers. “Additionally, with the prevalence of traditional farming practices, the output per unit of land was considerably low.” Through the programme, farmers are being encouraged to diversify their cropping patterns. Making a transition away from low-value crops to high-value crops will improve the income levels of households,” he pointed out.  He highlighted the underutilisation of agricultural land resulting from the lack of irrigation canals connected to natural water bodies. “The ETI-GB initiative is reshaping the agriculture sector of the region by facilitating the cultivation of an additional 70,000 acres of barren land. This is being achieved through the construction of irrigation channels.”

According to official statistics, the population of Gilgit-Baltistan is scattered over 650 villages. “The villages lack access to markets for commercial selling of their produce,” he said. Ehsan Mir said that the development of lands and the establishment of a 600-kilometre road network would enhance connectivity for the communities. Keeping in view the severity of winters in GB, the programme coordinator of ETI-GB highlighted the efforts being made in order to ensure food security.

“The utilisation of tunnels provides protection for crops against the harsh impacts of winter, enhances the ability of crops to withstand adverse conditions, and ultimately boosts the overall yearly production of farmers.” Based on the surveys conducted by ETI-GB, a substantial increase of 45% has been observed in the income levels of farmers residing in specific villages that were targeted under the programme. He emphasised that active community participation was the crucial element in developing economic solutions that were rooted in local realities.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk