Economic Transformation Initiative a seven-year development program of Govt. of Gilgit-Baltistan, co-funded by IFAD with a total cost of Rs. 12 billion to boost regional economic activity through agriculture value-chain development. The program aims at improving income, reducing poverty and malnutrition in the rural area of Gilgit-Baltistan. The specific objectives are to improve production and productivity by bringing in additional 50,000 acres of irrigated land benefiting around 100,000 small landholders including women and landless; improving connectivity to market through construction and updating 400 km of farm to market roads and promotion of demand-driven value chains of regional products.
The program follows a holistic and community-driven approach that is pro-poor and gender/youth nutrition sensitive. the value chain component aimed at providing comprehensive and mutually supportive solutions to current challenges in developing main cash crops of the region. Through a process of social mobilization, communities will be linked with government extension & research and private sector services by enhancing their require capacities.