Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Muzaffargarh Project »

SUMMARYThe use of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) has been closely connected with the survival of people in arid areas given their fruits´ high concentration of energy, fibre, minerals, vitamins and 16 amino acids. The arid climate and sandy or clayey loam soils in many parts of Pakistan are ideal for the cultivation of date palm, which contributes to feeding the country's rapidly growing population. To fill knowledge gaps on the effects of cultivar diversity and cultivation sites on the nutritional properties of dates, the present project studied dates and related physical and chemical soil properties across six districts in four provinces of Pakistan: Jhang, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur in Punjab; Dera Ismail Khan (D. I. Khan) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK); Khairpur in Sindh and Panjgur in Baluchistan. To this end, during 2012–2013, a total of 170 households (HHs) were selected using a snowball sampling approach. Thirty-nine different date palm cultivars with diverse nutritional properties are grown in the study area. In these total soluble solids (TSS) were highest in Muzawati and Koharba cultivars, while cultivars and site conditions significantly affected TSS, minerals (calcium and magnesium), acidity, and firmness of dates. Concentration of CaCO3 and bulk density (BD) of soils varied widely, while hydraulic conductivity (HC) was similar across sites (p = 0.128). Mean soil pH was highest in Panjgur (8.3) and lowest in Muzaffargarh (7.6), soil organic matter content was highest in Jhang (0.8%) and lowest in D. I. Khan (0.6%) and plant available phosphorous (P) was highest in Muzaffargarh (7.8 mg kg−1) and lowest in Panjgur (6.0 mg kg−1). As indicated by correlation analysis BD and cation exchange capacity of soils seemed to affect TSS, whereas concentration of CaCO3 and available P were correlated with calcium concentration of dates. HC and electrical conductivity, however, seemed to have little effect on dates´ nutritional properties.

This case study offers insights into assessing tomato value chain to improving rural livelihoods of marginal and vulnerable groups in rural Punjab, Pakistan. This research is based on qualitative data collected through Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) in two pilot villages of district Muzaffargarh with men and women farmers separately. The research aims to explore the pathways, linkages and new avenues and opportunities for marginal and vulnerable groups especially women to increase their household incomes under a collaborative Pakistan-Australia Strengthening Vegetable Value Chain Project (SVVCP). It is imperative to identify effective linkages between farmers and other chain actors to have a comprehensive understanding of how these works and what roles public and private actors play in making them work more effectively to plan and implement the project activities with farmers, for farmer and by farmers. It was found that most of farming households operate less than an acre of land and supplement their income with farm labour and small businesses. Both men and women farmers indicated lack of linkages and opportunities for them besides their limited access to agricultural knowledge, skills and resources. Men have diverse linkages with male dominant institutions such as agriculture and marketing. In contrast, women have no linkages with viable economic institutions such as production and marketing and tend to be associated with domestic and community affairs. The findings suggest that, it is imperative that farmers must have access to required information and skills and opportunities for networking to build sustainable linkages with value chain actors.

This study belongs to project “Rural development by livestock extension education in Southern Punjab”. A survey was conducted in Multan and Muzaffargarh districts of Southern Punjab by using a pretested questionnaire to collect the information regarding food security and socio-economic status of cameleers in study area. It has been shown from the results that the socio-economic status of camel herders has improved a lot in last decade mainly due to the knowledge about camel and its products. Definitely camel plays an indispensable role in the food security of people of arid zone. Now the people are getting conscious about consuming the camel milk and products as in earlier time there was a taboo to use the camel products and the people did not get their taste developed. Due to increasing health reasons and by the initiatives taken by government departments the people are getting familiar with the camel products. Now the camel has shifted its place from “ship of the desert” and “beast of the burden” to a “food security animal” with great potential to produce a valuable product even in those areas of harsh climatic conditions where there seems difficult for the other domestic animals to produce. The camel herders value the ethno-veterinary practices and still use these for the treatment in camels. Mainly the camel browse on the roadsides but also stallfed with fodder by cut and carry system. The camel plays a pivotal role in the life sustainability of cameleers where they mainly depend on this specie for their livelihood. Hence; this is an integral part of pastoral ecosystem in arid, semi-arid and deserted lands.

The world is facing gender related problems in which women’s are discriminated against in almost all walks of life. The present research is focusing on the issues of women. i.e, exchange marriages, women property rights and their maintenance after divorce in South Punjab. The objective of this study is to unveil the structural constraints in the society which have hamperedthe freedom and the autonomy of women. These constraints are operational in the domain of legal-judicial and administration-policing social system of the state that has made the access of women difficult to get the redress and relief against the violation of their rights. In this research, an interpretative mode of research is being used to unfold the relationship of different variables. Some of the variables have their connections on the bases of their influence on the nature of the women’s right in the social setup of South Punjab. Among these variables, independent ones are customary practices prevailing religious doctrines and the sources of materials means. The particular nature of the study and scientific approach of the research, it seemed appropriate to apply quota sampling technique for the selection of court cases. The especially court cases has been segregated to project women image of this region. In this study categories of the cases on the basis of different variables collected from targeted three districts as judgments pronounced and established under family and session court under districts Multan, Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan during the period from (2007 to 2014).This study includes ten cases, all related to the rights of women and customary practises. This study had also tried to show the how far judicial decisions were in favor of women to make them capable to empower in the emerging challenges of the time. The study in its analysis tried to show the effectiveness of prevailing family laws to enhance status of women.

Background: Food and Nutrition Security is a multilevel and complex construct, needing a holistic developmental approach, including multiple stakeholders. These projects were implemented by local partners, Lasoona and Doaba Foundation addressing food availability, access, use, utilization, and sustainability through a multi-sectoral approach. The aim of the evaluation was to provide a comprehensive assessment of Food and Nutrition Security projects (1086 and 1087) based on OECD DAC evaluation criteria. Methods: Mixed method approach, quasi-experimental design was used, including desk review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions with target communities, structured interviews of beneficiaries using Household Food Insecurity Assessment Scale (HIFAS) and Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP) scale. Results: According to the HIFAS results, Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) including Kohistan & Sawat were vulnerable with 34% and 15.78 % households facing food insecurity respectively. While in Muzaffargarh, a district of Punjab, 47% households were facing food insecurity. HDDS and IDDS improved considerably in all districts of KP and Punjab. Conclusion: The evaluated projects were social change projects sowing the seeds of a major social paradigm shift - changing the status of women at household and community level. Awareness of malnutrition and balanced diet through community volunteers, peer educators, social mobilizers and outreach workers played a pivotal role. Access and availability of diversified and nutritious food via kitchen gardens and plantation of trees with the use of organic fertilizers was encouraged.