Fisheries: Deal signed to boost output, quality

ISLAMABAD: The American Soybean Association (ASA) and Fisheries Development Board (FDB) of Pakistan signed an agreement for a three-year program aimed at improving the capacity, productivity, quality and profitability of the Pakistani fishing industry, said a press release issued here on Friday. This public-private venture is being funded by a $2 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture. The Pakistani aquaculture sector has been held back by the limited availability of high quality fish feed, a deficit which this program will directly tackle. The program will begin with six select trial sites and will expand over three years, eventually reaching an estimated 4,000 farmers. The program will also include an assessment of the Pakistani fish industry, a variety of technical trainings and a public awareness campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th,  2011.