EU, FAO conclude SRAS project supporting over 200,000 people in Sindh

KARACHI: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and The European Union together with the Government of Sindh, marked the successful completion of the Strengthening Resilience of Agro-Pastoralists in Sindh (SRAS) project here on Wednesday.

Implemented in Umerkot and Tharparkar, the four-year EU funded EUR 3 million SRAS project enhanced food security and resilience for 48205 smallholder farming households, benefiting over 200,000 people.

Through FAO Pakistan and its partners, Arid Zone Research Centre , Thardeep Rural Development Programme , and Management Development Foundation, 14,000 households received productive subsidies including 3,000 households received resilient breed improvement interventions, 705,000 livestock were vaccinated, and vulnerable farmers were supported with animal feed and mineral supplements.

The project trained 8,970 farmers via Livestock Farmer and Agro-pastoral Field Schools, established 10 Producer Marketing Groups.14,423 ha of agriculture land was benefited and 700 acres of rangeland were restored with indigenous grasses and trees.

Speaking at the ceremony, Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, highlighted the EU’s commitment to supporting climate resilience and rural development in Sindh.

“We believe that through the comprehensive approach adopted by the project, the EU has contributed to reducing the vulnerability of targeted communities to climatic and economic shocks,” he said.

Strengthening climate resilience is at the heart of the EU development cooperation agenda in Pakistan, including in Sindh which was particularly hard hit by the 2022 floods. The SRAS project has been part of the 1 billion EUR Team Europe responses to the 2022 floods, reallocating funding to provide emergency assistance to 5,750 households in Umerkot.

Representing FAO Pakistan, James Okoth, Officer-in-Charge, commended the strong partnership behind the project. SRAS has helped families continue food production and protect their livelihoods during an exceptionally difficult period. The strengthened systems, developed skills, and new community structures provide a solid foundation for continued resilience. FAO remains committed to supporting Sindh in advancing climate-smart agriculture and strengthening market systems, he said.

Najam Ahmed Shah, Chairman Planning of Development, Government of Sindh, reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to sustaining the practices introduced through SRAS and praised the project’s alignment with Sindh’s agricultural development priorities.

The ceremony featured a video highlighting SRAS’s achievements, live testimonials, a photo exhibition showcasing project milestones and community transformations, and a Commitment Wall where guests pledged to continue efforts toward resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025