Annual Progress Review and Planning Meeting Moving further towards formalized goat value chains in Pakistan and Ethiopia through business-oriented breeder and producer groups

Abstract

The first Annual Review and Planning Meeting of the project “Moving further towards formalized goat value chains in Pakistan and Ethiopia through business-oriented breeder and producer groups” was convened on 12 February 2026 at Indus Hotel, Hyderabad, Pakistan. This four-year initiative, launched in 2025, builds on previous R4D interventions by ACIAR and ICARDA, and seeks to develop integrated goat improvement interventions and enhance semi-formal and formal trade and marketing of goats in Pakistan and Ethiopia. By embedding farmer participation in defining breeding objectives and animal selection, the project aims to achieve sustainable genetic improvement, while safeguarding genetic diversity and adaptability to local environments. The program's resilience emphasizes profitability, productivity, and populations of native under and goat in low-input conditions, thereby contributing to food security, rural livelihoods, and inclusive value chain development.

The meeting was attended by scientists from ICARDA, the lead implementing agency, along with representatives from key national partners: Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Livestock Production Research Institute (LPRI), Bahadurnagar, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (SBBUVAS), Sakrand, and Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, reflecting a strong collaborative framework for advancing goat research and development.