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Vegetable value chains project in Pakistan helps women farmers earn better incomes

Summary

Mrs Azeema from Loung Khan Soomro village in Sindh, Pakistan, has built a new viable business out of her training from the Strengthening Vegetable Value Chains in Pakistan (SVVCP) project. This project aims to improve selected horticultural value chains and promote sustainable production and marketing opportunities.

The story

Mrs Azeema from Loung Khan Soomro village in Sindh is a 46-year old mother who, like many other women in her village, has been struggling to make ends meet.

Over 60% of Pakistan’s population live in rural areas where poverty is high. Although farming vegetables (chillies, onions, potatoes and tomatoes) provides a source of income, earnings vary because so many challenges stand in the way of growing good quality produce and getting it to market. Lack of access to horticultural business know-how affects farmers, especially women and young people trying to make a living through vegetable farming and trade.

To help address this challenge, CABI and partners developed the Strengthening Vegetable Value Chains in Pakistan (SVVCP) project, which aims to improve selected horticultural value chains and promote sustainable production and marketing opportunities.

An SVVCP project team from Sindh Agriculture University visited Mrs Azeema’s village and trained her, along with other women, in ways to create value-added products in their own homes such as green chili chutney and pickles.

The group created delicious new products to sell, but a new hurdle presented itself – marketing. In a society where women are discouraged from selling in their local market towns, they had to find a way to overcome social norms and bring in an income.

Mrs Azeema called upon the support of male members of her family, encouraging them to sell on her behalf. They visited different local markets where they met with prospective new customers.

With perseverance, Mrs Azeema gradually started receiving orders from different retailers. Most recently, her team approached buyers in Khairpur and Ranipur markets, winning lots of new orders. Mrs Azeema expects to receive more in the future – enough to bring about a positive change not only to her, but to her women’s group and their families.

Sustainable Development Goals


No Poverty

Helping small-scale farmers improve their livelihoods by providing knowledge about plant health and access to markets.

Zero Hunger

Developing a sustainable food system that helps smallholders meet the world's growing need for food.

Gender Equality

Empowering women and young people to play a more powerful role in the future of agriculture.

Related News & Blogs

Project launched to strengthen vegetable value chains in Pakistan

CABI has launched a project to strengthen the value chains of four vegetables in Pakistan – thereby helping to boost the household incomes and livelihoods of thousands of smallholder farmers and their families.

16th May 2018

Related projects

Strengthening vegetable value chains in Pakistan

Small-scale vegetable farmers in Pakistan encounter a number of issues that compromise their sustainable livelihoods; particularly for women and youth. Through the project, an alliance of selected organizations aimed to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Sindh and Punjab by strengthening selected horticultural value chains and promoting sustainable production and marketing opportunities.

Start: 16/02/2018 End: 31/12/2022