Farmers in Swat will be able to increase their incomes, improve their access to markets and fight crop diseases more effectively on back of a new United State Agency for International Development (USAID) funded program conducted in partnership with the Khyber Pakhtunhwa (KP) government and Telenor Pakistan.
The program will use Telenor’s mobile network to send farmers SMS messages and interactive voice recordings that provide customized information on crop prices, market access and disease prevention. The project will establish trading centers to help farmers increase sales by improving the way they market their goods.
USAID Mission Director Jock Conly at the official signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between USAID, the KP government and Telenor said that:
Equipped with a better understanding of market prices and trends, Swat farmers will now be able to maximize their profits by selling their crops when the market price is up.
Irfan Wahab Khan Vice President of Telenor Pakistan said:
Through programs like these, the US government through USAID is improving the livelihoods of farmers in Swat.
We know information systems can help play a vital role in developing Pakistan’s agriculture sector and we would like to thank the government of KP and USAID for extending resources and invaluable support to make this venture possible.
On this occasion, KP Agriculture Secretary Afsar Khan said that:
This program will not only help bring economic prosperity to the region, but also encourage technological advancement, which is fundamental to the progress of our nation.
