Pakistan

Pakistan has been an ACIAR partner country since 1984.In Pakistan there is increasing pressure on availability of water resources for irrigation due to competing demands from urban and industrial uses. Soil and water salinity and drainage problems are placing additional pressure on irrigated agriculture. Given the similarity of some of its own water resource and salinity issues, Australia is very well-placed technically to assist Pakistan in addressing the above issues. As a result, ACIAR's program continues to focus on irrigation, drainage and salinity management in the major cropping systems. Examples of the technologies arising from this collaboration are the introduction of Australian salt-tolerant forage species into Pakistan and the use of eucalypts to assist in the drainage of shallow watertables.

In addition, there is recognition that Australia has skills for working with some of Pakistan's key horticultural crops-especially citrus and mangoes, the two most important tree crops. Australian expertise can provide a whole-of-system approach to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the mango and citrus industries, encompassing all steps from fruiting to market.

Pakistan is also one of the world's largest milk producers, with slightly less than half of that production from dairy cattle. Unit animal production is very low although genetic potential is quite good. Major opportunities exist for applying Australian expertise in animal nutrition and integrating forage production into farming systems to assist in improving milk production. This work is viewed as a key to poverty reduction, particularly for some of Pakistan's landless people.