LAHORE: The Planning & Development Board Punjab held a consultation meeting with an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mission to explore greater cooperation for modernising the province’s agriculture sector and strengthening agricultural value chains.
The meeting was chaired by Aslam Javed, Member Agriculture, P&D Board Punjab, and focused on the proposed US$3.8 million Technical Assistance aimed at supporting agricultural transformation and improving the efficiency and sustainability of the sector.
Discussions covered key areas including climate resilience, water productivity, agricultural digitalisation and post-harvest infrastructure, with participants emphasising the need for modern technologies and evidence-based approaches to improve agricultural productivity.
The proposed Punjab Water Productivity and Agri-Food Transformation Project (P-WAT) was also reviewed during the consultation. The initiative is aimed at improving water-use efficiency while supporting broader transformation across Punjab’s agri-food sector.
The participants discussed opportunities for strengthening agricultural value chains, reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmers’ access to modern technologies and markets.
Climate resilience and efficient water management remained central to the discussions, particularly in view of increasing climate-related pressures on agriculture and water resources.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to working together towards a modern, climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture sector in Punjab, with stronger value chains and improved resource efficiency.
The consultation provided a platform for the Punjab government and ADB to identify priority areas for technical cooperation and advance proposed initiatives aimed at supporting farmers, improving agricultural productivity and strengthening the province’s long-term food and water security.