US envoy launches Climate-Smart Agriculture programme to aid Pakistani farmers
Donald Blome is the first full-time ambassador to Pakistan since August 2018. SCREENGRAB
US Ambassador Donald Blome on Monday inaugurated a five-year Climate-Smart Agriculture initiative at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), aimed at equipping Pakistani farmers with sustainable methods to address climate challenges and improve crop resilience.
The programme, funded by the United States, is set to benefit farmers nationwide, marking a renewed commitment to agricultural collaboration between the two countries.
“Through this initiative, the United States and Pakistan will collaborate to improve both crop yields and farmers’ livelihoods,” Ambassador Blome said at the event, attended by US Consul General Kristin Hawkins, USAID Mission Director Kate Somvongsiri, and Pakistani government and agricultural leaders.
Ambassador Blome added, “Projects like these are part of the United States’ commitment to support a brighter, more climate-resilient future for the Pakistani people.”
This latest initiative builds on a historic partnership in agriculture, with the US having played a role in the 1960s “Green Revolution” led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Norman Borlaug, whose work transformed wheat production in Pakistan.
UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan welcomed the programme, calling it a “landmark effort to advance climate-smart agriculture in Pakistan.”
He cited the university's recent success in developing high-yield crop varieties, including new wheat, sugarcane, and cotton types, as examples of progress made with international support.
Dr Khan also referenced the USAID-supported Centre for Advanced Studies at UAF, established in 2014, which has made strides in food security and agricultural innovation.
He noted that past US involvement, such as the contribution of Washington State University faculty in the 1960s, helped lay the foundation for UAF’s role in Pakistan’s agricultural development.