TASK FORCE FOR HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY

FoodWorks has worked with the Competitiveness Support Fund in Pakistan to establish a Task Force on Horticulture Finance and Competitiveness. Meetings have been held covering finance, infrastructure (especially transport, logistics and aspects such as cool chains), production/processing/marketing and quality control and standards. The first phase of this work will be completed in September 2007 with related work being carried forwards by various line ministries and private sector partners. The goal of the Task Force is to significantly increase the volume and quality of exports of major crops such as mango, kinnow, peaches, apples. For more information on what CSF and FoodWorks are doing in horticulture please check the CSF website on http://www.competitiveness.org.pk/

COMPETITIVENESS SUPPORT FUND

Geoff Quartermaine Bastin is acting as the Senior Advisor to the Competitiveness Support Fund based in Islamabad, Pakistan. CSF is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance and USAID with an initial financing package of US$20 million. The Fund is managed by its CEO Arthur Bayhan and has two main operational windows: technical assistance (consisting of policy advice and sector or industry assistance) and a matching grants facility where the Fund works with small enterprises on the basis of establishing links between industry, academia and government in a public-private partnership approach. Work is also starting in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the trouble-torn north-west of Pakistan in a campaign to win hearts and minds via the development of small industry in sectors like livestock and horticulture. For more information on CSF, take a look at the website http://www.competitiveness.org.pk/