WWF- Pakistan initiated this 4 Year Project in 2006 with a purpose to create a mechanism for increasing water availability and reducing pollution by decreasing the amount ofwater and agrochemicals use in sugarcane and cotton production.
|
|
Specific Objective 1:
By 2010 small and large scale Sugar & Cotton Farmers apply Better Management Practices (BMPs).
Specific Objective 2:
A Local, National and International enabling environment is in place by 2010.
Target beneficiaries:
Small and large-scale sugarcane & cotton farmers
in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur.
Achievements:
• Mechanism to promote sustainable cotton & sugarcane production with long term benefits for water resources & farming communities.
• A remarkable increase in water efficiency up to 40 % was observed and recorded through bed & furrow and alternate row Irrigation techniques in cotton.
• Significant reductions in pesticide and fertilizer use.
• Close relation built with key stakeholders in agriculture in Punjab.
• Awareness raising material- brochures, pamphlets, manuals, leaflets and calendars depicting promising BMPs in Cotton & Sugarcane with illustrations were developed and disseminated extensively among farmers, project stakeholders.
• Experience was gained with the complexities of water saving in the socio- economic context of farming in Pakistan.
• A website has been developed(www.wwfpak.org/bmp/fw_bmps.php) And is regularly updated
• Farmer Organisations strengthened through activities such as FFS, CCB and Consensus Building Workshops
• Initiating review of Agriculture and Water policies. International mechanisms support wide-scale uptake of BMPs
Partners:
• Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MinFAL)
• CARITAS- Pakistan
• Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD)
• National Agriculture Research Center (NARC)
• Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC)
• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF)
• Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA),
• All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA)
•Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA)
• Kissan Welfare Association (KWA)
• Kissan Development Organization (KDO)
• Khawateen Welfare Council (KWC)
• Lahore Compost
• IKEA