Agribusiness Support Fund (ASF) - a not-for-profit company - was established in July, 2005 with the

support of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the context of Agribusiness Development & Diversification
Project (ADDP) under a loan agreement signed between the Government of Pakistan (GoP) and ADB.
The company is registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under the
Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984 and is governed by an independent, private sector-led
Board of Directors. The company was established to strengthen and support demand-driven private
sector service delivery mechanisms throughout the agribusiness value chains (with high-value
horticulture, livestock and dairy sectors) including supply inputs, production, processing, and market
access for domestic and export markets. ASF has outreach in all the provinces and special areas of
country. ASF purposefully focuses on the following while structuring its programs:

 Agribusiness development because this sub-sector typically offers the greatest opportunity to
address the needs of poor people who live in rural areas;
 Sustainable Income generating activities because a secure and steady source of income is the
primary means to address poverty related issues such as food security, education, health, and
housing.
 Mission Statement:

To support economic growth, create employment opportunities and contribute to poverty

alleviation through development of agriculture value chains.

 Vision:

To serve as a platform to help uplift Pakistan’s agribusiness sector to internationally

competitive levels, in partnership with the rural poor, small and large growers and other
stakeholders.

ASF services :

Cost-sharing Grants

1- Risk Sharing in Value Chain Investments: Cost-sharing Grants

 More than 17000 agribusiness initiatives (horticulture, livestock & dairy sectors) supported
through cost-sharing grants across the country under ADB and USAID funded programs.
 Examples of funded-projects include: start-ups, expansions, business development services
purchase, research & development, extension services etc.
 Beneficiaries include: input suppliers, farmers, groups, associations, processors, exporters,
retailers, service providers etc.
Capacity Building

2- Training & Capacity Building

 More than 20,000 participants representing farmers, associations, processors, exporters,

retailers, officials of certifying bodies and other professionals provided technical and managerial
trainings.
 Trainings organized in collaboration with national and international training institutes, universities,
certifying bodies and other professional training platforms.

Intl. Market Access

3- International Market Linkages & Access Support

 More than 200 participants representing farmers, associations, processors, exporters etc.
provided relevant market training and then supported to participate in international expos, trade
shows, B2B events etc.
 Examples of events include: Gulf Food, Dubai, Fruit Logistica Germany, FoodEx Saudi, Euro-Tier
Germany, World Food Kazakhstan, World Food Moscow, AGRAME Dubai etc.

Export Services

4- Export Certifications Support

 More than 200 farmers, processors, exporters etc. acquired export/compliance certifications
through technical assistance and grant support of ASF.
 Examples of certifications include: GlobalGAP, HACCP, British Retail Consortium (BRC), ISO
22000, IFS etc.

FEG Formation

5- Farmer Enterprise Groups Formation

 More than 3000 Farmer Enterprise Groups (FEGs) formed nationwide, and then provided
technical assistance and grant support to undertake agribusiness initiatives on collective basis.
 Partner NGOs/RSPs for FEGs formation include: AKRSP, NRSP, SRSP, RCDS, SAWFCO,
Taraqee Foundation, Lasoona, Mojaz Foundation, CERD, Jinnah Welfare Society.
Advisory Services

6- Technical Assistance & Advisory Services

Portfolio of technical & advisory services provided by ASF includes:

 Participatory rapid appraisals

 Value chain assessments
 Feasibility studies
 Baseline surveys
 Need assessments surveys
 Training & capacity building
 Consultative workshops
 Monitoring & evaluation
 Agribusiness projects structuring
 Technical assistance to agribusinesses
 Grants scheme management

VC Platforms

7- Technical Working Groups/Value Chain Platforms

 ASF is an Associate Member of the GlobalG.A.P (FoodPlus, Germany) for Pakistan.

 ASF is official host of GlobalG.A.P National Technical Working Groups (NTWGs) on the following
scopes:i.Livestock

ii.Fruits & Vegetables (F&V)

iii.Aquaculture

 The draft of local interpretation of F&V guidelines structured by ASF-led NTWG-F&V approved by
M/s FoodPlus.
 Value chain platforms (VCPs) for the horticulture and livestock sub-sectors established and made
functional.
Our Projects

Our Key projects are:

Agribusiness Development Project (ADB)

ADB-FUNDED AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (ADP), US$ 13.9 MILLION (2006-2011)

ASF has the unique experience of launching and implementing a large-scale 5-year cost-sharing grants
program with specific focus on agribusiness value chains development, under the ADB-funded
Agribusiness Project in Pakistan. ASF supported 5,328 nationwide agribusiness projects under the
project.

Some of the key target-based achievements of ASF under the program include:

 Support to 471 existing agribusiness enterprises, including 100 projects of acquisition of

international certifications including: GlobalGAP, HACCP, British Retail Consortium (BRC), ISO
22000, IMC and Organic; and support to 84 farmers, agribusiness enterprises and other related
stakeholders to participate in international exhibitions and trade shows and for marketing visits to
foreign markets;
 Support to 115 start-up agribusiness enterprises, including 11 fresh produce cold-storages, 27
on-farm mango washing, drying, grading and packing units, 10 screen houses for availability of
true to type disease free fruit plants, 75 solar dryers for drying of fruits & vegetables;
 712 training & capacity building initiatives organized in collaboration with national and
international organizations. More than 3,000 farmers, consultants & agricultural professionals
trained;
 70 private-sector extension services projects in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, KPK, FATA, Gilgit
Baltistan and AJK, including water conservation, preservation of pine nuts forests of Balochistan
and value-addition and marketing of pine nuts, beef fattening, date palm sector development,
buffalo breed conservation and feed management, benefitting more than 5,000 farmers;
 11 research & development projects including: trial shipments of mango by sea under controlled
atmosphere, essential oil extraction, Pakistan’s first ever banana tissue culture lab, bio-fuel
extraction from jatropha plant, use of peat moss to reclaim wastelands, summer cropping, and
efficient use of drip irrigation to reclaim saline stricken land;
 Capacity building support to country’s 10 leading Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)/ Rural
Support Programs (RSPs)in agribusiness enterprise development who under ASF’s Grant
established 2,000 Micro Agribusiness Enterprises throughout the country consisting of more than
20,000 small-scale farmers, including 25% women; and
  2,000 Micro agribusiness enterprises established under ASF’s grant were provided support for
indulging in agribusiness initiatives through various programs such as establishment of 97
certified fruit nurseries at KPK, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK, 42 projects for gladiolus production &
marketing in Baluchistan, 20 projects for sustainable apricot drying, processing and marketing in
Gilgit Baltistan, 15 projects for setting up apricot dehydration units in Gilgit Baltistan, 290 projects
for off-season vegetables production countrywide, and 15 milk collection, chilling and value-
addition projects.

The above activities implemented by ASF included a number of first-time initiatives in the country which
included the following:

 Project for fruit plant nursery production in private-sector screen houses under insect-free
environment on nationwide basis;
 Provision of solar dryers for drying of fruits & vegetables on nationwide basis;
 Extension services project for farmer communities of D.I.Khan & Zhob for value-addition and
marketing of pine nuts ;
 Support for establishment of on-farm mango washing, drying, grading and packing facilities in
mango growing districts in Punjab & Sindh;
 Support for establishment of plant tissue culture laboratory for bananas in Tando Allahyar Sindh ;
 GlobalGAP Certification projects for citrus & mango in Bhalwal, Sargodha, Multan & Tando
Allayar;
 GlobalGAP Train-the-Trainer workshop in Pakistan conducted by M/s FoodPlus, Germany;
 Training program on “British Retail Consortium 3rd Party Auditors” in collaboration with Pakistan
Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA);
 Training programs on off-season farming in collaboration with University of Agriculture Faisalabad
& Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi;
 British Retail Consortium (BRC) UK trained professionals;
 Technical expertise for establishment of fresh fruit & vegetable processing unit in Karachi;
 Launch of Private-sector agriculture extension services projects;
 Gladiolus production & marketing in Balochistan; and
 Sustainable apricot drying, processing and marketing in Gilgit Baltistan.

Summary of key impact indicators under the project includes: Employment generation for 65,000 persons;
20,000 farmers representing 140,000 family members brought together to form 2,000 agribusiness
enterprises countrywide; 139% increase in employment generation coupled with increased real profits at
target farms in rural areas ( Lahore University of Management Sciences – LUMS – Impact Assessment
Report 2010); Exports of Fruits & Vegetables from Pakistan increased over the 4 year period from
$168.6m in 2006-07 to $ 445m in 2010-11 (most of the exporters were beneficiaries of ASF programs);
Fresh private investments of Rs. 2.78 billion generated in the Agribusiness sector; and, according to
LUMS Impact Assessment Report the ASF program to support BDS market development was successful
in correcting market failure in the target sectors. Acknowledging the impact of ASF’s programs for
capacity building of kinnow farmers, ADB published a success story “Pakistani Kinnow goes Global” as a
headline story on its official website.

The Agribusiness Project (USAID)

USAID-FUNDED “THE AGRIBUSINESS PROJECT” (TAP), US$ 40.00 MILLION (2011-2015)

The project aimed at increasing the competitiveness and productivity of the prioritized value chains,
including apricot, banana, chilies, citrus, grapes, high value/off-season vegetables, meat, and seed
potato. The project technical assistance (capacity building, compliance certifications, market linkages,
FEGs formation, institutional strengthening, VCPs and NTWGs etc.) and cost-sharing grants interventions
targeted strengthening of target value chains for greater value addition, processing and marketing
through improvement in farming practices, and strengthening farmer organizations, businesses and
related networks that critically link producers, suppliers and processors. Overall, the project supported
19,144 micro and small enterprises; 9,372 micro and small enterprises were linked to larger-scale
operations; a total of 20, 219 participants were provided technical and managerial trainings; 14,531 new
FTE jobs were created; project beneficiaries reported incremental sales revenue of USD 41.84 million
including export value of USD 34.6 million; and USD 9.91 million was leveraged by the private sector as a
result of implementation of project activities.

Economic Transformation Initiative ETI-GB (IFAD)

A SUB-CONTRACT OF VALUE CHAIN TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES UNDER IFAD-FUNDED

ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE, GILGIT-BALTISTAN (ETI-GB), US$ 120 MILLION
(2017-2020)

The Government of Gilgit Baltistan and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have
signed a Financing Agreement for the execution of the programme, Economic Transformation Initiative
Gilgit Baltistan (ETI-GB). The overall goal of the ETI-GB programme is to improve incomes and reduced
poverty and malnutrition in rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan region benefitting around 100,000 rural
households. Under a 36-month sub-contract signed between ASF and ETI-GB, ASF has deployed value
chain technical assistance team (VCTAT) in Gilgit Baltistan that is involved in day-to-day activities of
programme’s sub-component “Value Chain Support Fund and Technical Assistance” and is responsible
for performing the following tasks:

 Activity-1: Inception report for the sub-component

  Activity-2: Staff orientation and monthly review meetings

 Activity-3: Develop systems, procedures, criteria and monitoring mechanisms for effective and
transparent operation of the Value Chain Support Fund

 Activity-4: Provide ongoing support to the project team in the implementation of grants processes

 Activity-5: Develop strategies for value chain development (Seed Potato and Apricot)

 Activity-6: Provide ongoing support to promote commercially viable linkages between the target
value chain stakeholders (IFAD 4 Ps Model)

 Activity-7: Organize international exposure visits for the value chain actors

 Activity-8: Ongoing training and capacity building of the value chain stakeholders
 Develop training modules on:
1. Train-the-trainer training
2. Training modules – farmer trainings (potato seed)
3. Training modules – farmer trainings (apricot)
 Organize Train-the-trainer (ToT) trainings for 425 farmers
 Organize value chain trainings for farmers (Attendance by 35,000 participants/sessions)

Other Programs

Responding to Pakistan’s Internally Displaced CWW (OFDA)

In October 2010, Concern Worldwide – Pakistan, under its Responding to Pakistan’s Internally Displaced
(RAPID) Fund established under an umbrella grant from USAID and Office of the U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance (OFDA), awarded a project valued at PKR. 25.470 million to ASF for provision of wheat seeds
and agricultural hand tools to flood-affected farmer communities of Union Council Baseera and Union
Council Mehmood Kot of District Muzaffargarh. The project entitled “Livelihood Initiative for Flood-
Affectees’ Empowerment (LIFE)” was an emergency project of duration of 3 months, and was launched
on 28th October, 2010, targeting 9,000 households consisting of 63,000 family members. The project was
implemented in collaboration with Mojaz Foundation which is a well-known Non-Governmental
Organization (NGO) with presence in the area under project implementation. The project was completed
on 27th January, 2011.

Competitive Industries Project for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (CIPK) / World Bank / Pakistan US$
0.040m (Nov15 – Feb 15)
ASF provided advisory services to a World Bank funded Competitive Industries Project for Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (CIPK), which is one of the key initiatives in the aftermath of the Post Crisis Need
Assessment (PCNA) report of 2010. CIPK is implemented under the auspices of the Multi Donor Trust
Fund (MDTF) and aims at improving the competitiveness especially of food processing and marble
industries of the province. The objective of ASF’s assignment was to ascertain the marketing, technical
and financial viability of establishing a dates processing unit in KP by undertaking a comprehensive
feasibility study. The broader purpose of the feasibility study was to sketch a detailed overview of dates
palm value chain, and to help identify targeted actions to capitalize on the productivity and profitability of
dates marketing system. The study also covered the technical and financial feasibility of dates processing
unit thereby suggesting technological requirements, identifying and assessment of potential sites, as well
as undertaking a detailed financial analysis of the project.

Other Services

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BUSINESS ADVISORY SERVICES:

ASF operates with in-house technical assistance and advisory services division which provides
specialized consulting services to ASF and external clients in implementation of a variety of activities like
designing and implementation of national and international agribusiness training programs; undertaking
studies & surveys; export certification programs, operation of value chain platforms, domestic &
international market linkages programs etc. The division operates under functional collaborations with
universities, national & international training institutes, international certifying bodies, private-sector
entities, government and semi-government entities, and other stakeholders from the agribusiness sector.

My personal experience:

I have done two months of internee at this organization under PRO in HRM department. The
experience during my internship was excellent .