The units will help better grading, processing, and packing of the pines, adding longer shelf life to them
United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) installed Chilghoza processing plants in Diamer, Gilgit Baltistan, and in Zhob, Balochistan under its initiative “Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation in High Conservation Value Chiloghoza Pine Forests in Pakistan”.
The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility and is being executed in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change. The project will also contribute 23 million trees to the Ten Billion Trees Program initiated by the minister.
The project has engaged the local community in the process of conservation and protection of forests while adding value chain development. The inability to access the Chilghoza processing plant is a major concern for the local community. FAO through this project, installed a processing unit at Chilas, Diamer, and Zhob, Balochistan, covering Chilghoza cleaning, grading, roasting, packing, and labeling. This initiative will help the local community to sell a finished product at a higher price and also will increase the shelf life of roasted pine nuts up to six months.
From the perspective of conservation, the specialized training and tools imparted to the local communities have improved forest regeneration. Moreover, training for women on packing and labeling, kitchen gardening, and literacy are paradigms of the initiatives that have been identified by the communities.
The inauguration of the projects was jointly done by FAO and the Forest Department representatives. At the occasion, the community members, local traders, forest department officials attended the event. During the first year, representatives from the communities, Forest Department staff will be trained for the independent running of the processing unit starting from next season in 2021.
Economic benefits for the locals
Speaking on the occasion, Country Representative of FAO, Mina Dowlatchahi highlighted the significance of such a unit to ensure more benefits arising from natural resources management. She stated that for the first time in Diamer and Zhob districts, the local people will be able to process their harvest in one place from grading to packaging and labeling and hence obtain a higher price on the market compared to selling cones or unroasted nuts. It is hoped that these economic benefits would increase the efforts and engagement of the communities in Chilgoza forest conservation, she said.
Deputy Commissioner Sherani, Balochistan, Muhammad Ramzan Palal said that forests are an integral part of nature. Efforts are underway not only to prevent deforestation in the Sherani district but also environment-friendly trees are being planted alternatively. District Forest Officer Diamer, Gilgit Baltistan, Zakir Hussain stated that the processing unit will help the local communities to get a better price at the market.
The project will help in the restoration, protection, and sustainable management of Chilghoza pine forests to provide global environmental benefits as well as enhanced resilience and livelihoods to local stakeholders.