Farmer Enterprise Development Program(FEDP)

Pakistan’s economy is agriculture based and contribution of agriculture sector towards GDP is 25%. Almost 70% population of Pakistan is associated with agriculture and its related businesses. In the past various governments initiated many projects/programs. As a result of these initiatives, agriculture production increased many folds.

This included cereals, cash crops, vegetables and fruits. However, due to lack of access to market information, inadequate post harvest processing facilities (such as grading, preservation, use of produce for agri-based industrial or food products) and a few agribusiness opportunities has many a times created glut like situation causing loss to farmers or inadequate supplies forcing consumers to pay more for the horticultural products. These situations have neither helped the farmers to improve their economic conditions nor the urban population to continue to receive the standard grade supplies at reasonable and affordable rates.

To overcome the abovementioned problems and looking at the potential of the horticulture and livestock within its operational area, RCDS in the partnership ASF initiated a project named “Farmers Enterprise Development Program (FEDP)” in Nov2006, to support Farmers’ Enterprise Development Program the agribusiness in various ways. One of the initiatives of the FEDP is to establish “Farmers Group Enterprises” to allow farmer groups to add value in their raw produces of horticulture and livestock have better marketing access and improve their financial income. RCDS has successfully completed two phases of FEDP in the partnership of ASF while third phase is in progress in districts Sheikhupura, Nankana, Kasur, Faisabad and Multan.