Project Brief:

The fresh fruit supply chain in Chitral faces several interrelated challenges that hinder its efficiency, profitability, and contribution to local economic development. Despite having favorable agro-climatic conditions for fruit cultivation, this sector remains underdeveloped due to systemic inefficiencies, weak institutional coordination, and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in post-harvest handling and cold chain logistics. These challenges result in high post-harvest losses, limited market access, and low incomes for farmers. To address these issues, a systematic evaluation of the fresh fruit supply chain in Chitral is urgently needed. This evaluation should include identifying bottlenecks, assessing opportunities for value addition, and recommending evidence-based interventions.

Policy Relevance:

The proposed study could be beneficial for public policy in Pakistan in several ways including: identifying gaps in existing policies and frameworks; establishing an open channel for policy dialogue regarding economic support for the fresh fruit sector; providing a foundation for effective policy formulation and implementation; presenting policy recommendations aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and value addition in the fresh fruit sector; and offering governmental institutions a means for public involvement in formulating policies for the fresh fruit sector.

Team Details:
Principal Investigator
Aftab Tabasum
MPhil. Scholar
PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi

Co-PI
Taha Razzaq
Officer Grade III (OG-III)
Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)

Co-PI
Muhammad Irfan Malik
Assistant Professor
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)

Research Associate
Mujtaba Hasnain
MPhil. Scholar
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST)