USAID initiates project on MAP sector in KP

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)is providing $900,000 support to a local NGO Human Development Organization Doaba (HDOD) based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to help improve the Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (MAP) sector.

The funding support is provided through a sub-award by the USAID Pakistan Entrepreneurs project. Agnes G Luz, Chief of Party Entrepreneurs and Yousuf Jan, Executive Director HDOD signed the sub-agreement on July 12, 2011 in Islamabad to carry out the project titled "Value Chain Development of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants" in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Dir Upper, Swat and Shangla.

The initiative will help local MAP collectors in many ways and is expected to increase their income by at least 50% in the course of the project.

Value Chain work is a crucial step in ensuring that the 5000 MAP collectors who were supported in terms of training and toolkits under the Post Flood Livelihood Recovery project by USAID and HDOD and 7000 more MAP collectors, get connected to better buyers from viable and more sustainable markets at the local, national and international levels. Interventions will include technical trainings to MAP collectors, business and marketing training for sales agents, development of linkages with alternative markets and relevant business service providers, and collectors' mobilization and capacity building.

These interventions are expected to result in at least 50% increase in incomes of 12,000 MAP collectors, amounting to $1.68 million shortly after end of the project.