Pakistan, Italy sign agriculture loan

Pakistan and Italy signed a concessional loan agreement worth ", "20 million (approximately Rs 6.3 billion) to support the Professional Capacity Building and Extension in Agriculture project in Pakistan. This initiative, part of Pakistan's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) National Reform Programme, aims to strengthen agricultural skills development, improve technical certification, and promote innovation across agricultural value chains. The project will focus on high-value crops like olives, pistachios, and dates, leveraging Italy's expertise. Over 42 months, it will deliver 720 training courses to nearly 18,398 participants and establish infrastructure such as model orchards, eco-villages, and agro-food processing units. The Pakistan — Pakistan Oilseed Department will implement the project, which is expected to generate rural employment, enhance producer incomes, and improve the competitiveness of Pakistan's agriculture sector.