Washington: Islamabad received a grant of nearly USD 400,000 from the US to establish a network of cold storage facilities at strategic locations in five key urban areas in Pakistan.
The USD 392,328 grant by the US Trade and Development Agency will fund a feasibility study to advance the required storage infrastructure for perishable food products that would help improving both food security and producers` access to agricultural markets in Pakistan, a media release said.
The grant was conferred during a signing ceremony held at USTDA`s Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
"It reflects USTDA`s strategy in Pakistan to create mutually beneficial relationships for expanding economic relations and opening markets to greater trade," USTDA Acting Director Leocadia Zak during the signing event.
The study will facilitate the establishment of a full-scale and sustainable cold chain business enterprise in Pakistan that addresses technological improvements, determination of post-harvest capabilities, and the viability of the network`s business plan, the release added.
The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), one of the four founding members of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and an established non-profit organisation specialising in food logistics, will perform the feasibility study.
PTI
