Sindh Corporate Farming & Horticulture

Project Cost: PKR 3,500 million Budget Breakdown:

• Year 1: PKR 2,000 million – Focus on land consolidation, integrated infrastructure development, procurement of machinery and equipment, and establishing
• Year 2: PKR 1,500 million – Emphasis on implementing advanced technologies, joint training programs, developing combined market linkages, and initiating value addition projects.
• Year 3: PKR 1000 million – Concentrate on promoting sustainable practices, expanding kitchen gardening initiatives, strengthening cooperatives, and conducting project monitoring and evaluation.

Implementation Strategies (Integrated for Fruit and Vegetable Crops)

This section outlines the integrated implementation strategies for both fruit and vegetable crops, maximizing synergies and resource utilization.

1. Corporate Farming Model (Integrated Approach):
   • Land Consolidation: Encourage lease-based or cooperative models to cultivate large-scale farms efficiently, incorporating both fruit orchards and vegetable fields within the same consolidated land area. This allows for shared infrastructure and
   • Precision Agriculture: Implement precision agriculture technologies, including drone technology, IoT-based sensors, and AI-driven monitoring systems, for optimized crop management across both fruit and vegetable cultivations. This integrated approach allows for data sharing and more informed decision-making across the entire farm.
   • Mechanization: Implement modern farm machinery suitable for both fruit and vegetable crops, including tractors, planters, harvesters, sprayers, and drip irrigation systems. This shared pool of machinery reduces costs and increases
   • Contract Farming: Engage corporate entities and farmers in integrated agreements that cover both fruit and vegetable production, ensuring market security, quality assurance, and fair pricing for both

II.   Crop-Specific Interventions (Integrated Approach):

This section details interventions tailored to specific crops, considering the shared resources and infrastructure:

• Mango: Promote high-density plantations, controlled-atmosphere storage (shared with other suitable fruits and vegetables), and improved grafting
• Banana: Utilize tissue culture techniques for disease-resistant and high- yielding plants.
• Chiku: Develop hybrid varieties for extended harvesting
  

  Capacity Building for Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Experts

  Objective:

  • Enhance skills of farmers, experts, and extension workers to improve productivity, adopt climate-smart practices, and reduce post-harvest

  Key Training Areas:

  1. For Growers:
     • Modern Techniques: High-density planting, irrigation, and improved seed varieties.
     • Climate-Smart Agriculture: Water conservation, pest management, and sustainable farming.
     • Post-Harvest Management: Proper storage, packaging, and cold chain
     • Market Linkages: Training on value addition, packaging, and export
  2. For Experts and Extension Workers:
     • Research & Development: Crop breeding, pest resistance, and modern agricultural technologies.
     • Post-Harvest Tech:     Techniques      for     processing      and      preserving fruits/vegetables.
     • Climate Change Adaptation: Training on water management and sustainable practices.

       Chiku (Sapodilla):

       Chiku Jam: A natural, sweet spread made from ripe chikus.