EU Parliamentarians visit to Hyderabad and Tando Allahyar
(October 29, 2025)
Hyderabad, October 29, 2025: Members of the European Parliament visited Fiza Desi Ghee, a small business owned by Ms. Nusrat, to witness how EU support is transforming women-led enterprises in rural Sindh. The business received a PKR 0.5 million matching grant under the European Union-funded Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project. The project is being implemented by International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with PPAF, FAO and SMEDA with SAFWCO as partner organisation facilitating project activities in Hyderabad.
The matching grant, along with targeted training and exposure visits, helped Ms. Nusrat modernise her operations resulting in higher production, improved product quality, and new job opportunities created for women in the village.
The delegation, which included Members of the European Parliament, Mr. Lukas Mandl, Mr. Tomas Zdechovsky, Mr. Juan Fernando, Mr. Robert Biedron, and Mr. Marc Jongen along with representatives from the European Union, including Mr. Christian Ben Hell, Ms. Barbara Riksen, Mr. Christian Meseth, Ms. Teresa Paula, and Ms. Janetta Cujkova, commended the enterprise’s success and acknowledged GRASP’s contribution to empowering women entrepreneurs and advancing sustainable rural development in Sindh.
Concluding the project visit, MP Lukas Mandl, leading the delegation of Members of the European Parliament said “We were happy to see that our EU funding contributes to scaling up local SMEs. We saw that locally owned private enterprises can make a real difference throughout the value chain, starting from small banana farmers and milk producers, with scaled-up technology, and grants for better equipment. The GRASP projects we have seen create employment, improve food security, and build on and improve the capacity of local people. In this case we in particular provide technology support to avoid banana diseases which could impact a vast number of people negatively.”
Representing ITC, Umer Arfi, SME Development Specialist noted, “Through access to finance, training, and market linkages, GRASP is helping rural entrepreneurs unlock their potential and build sustainable businesses.”
Sohail Khan Bangash, Operations Lead for GRASP at PPAF, added, “The impact of GRASP goes beyond individual enterprises; it strengthens local economies, encourages innovation, and uplifts entire communities.”
The visit highlighted how GRASP is fostering inclusive economic growth by empowering rural entrepreneurs, particularly women, to build resilient livelihoods and contribute to Pakistan’s sustainable development.
Tando Allahyar, October 29, 2025: A delegation from the European Union Parliament visited S. Nizamani Enterprise’s Banana Tissue Culture Laboratory in Tando Allahyar to witness first-hand the positive impact of EU support to Pakistan’s agribusiness sector under its Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project. Under GRASP which is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with PPAF, FAO and SMEDA, a PKR 30 million matching grant was awarded to S. Nizamani Enterprise (SNE) through Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP), partner organisation facilitating project activities in Tando Allahyar.
The matching grant helped SNE expand its tissue culture lab to provide disease-free, high-yield banana varieties, helping farmers combat Panama disease which has been a major threat to banana cultivation across the province. The enterprise’s work has enhanced productivity, created jobs, supported sustainable farming practices and contributed to improved trade opportunities for local communities.
The delegation, which included Members of the European Parliament, Mr. Lukas Mandl, Mr. Tomas Zdechovsky, Mr. Juan Fernando, Mr. Robert Biedron, and Mr. Marc Jongen along with representatives from the European Union, including Mr. Christian Ben Hell, Ms. Barbara Riksen, Mr. Christian Meseth, Ms. Teresa Paula, and Ms. Janetta Cujkova, commended the SNE’s innovative work and acknowledged the impact of GRASP in promoting rural development, green technologies and sustainable trade.
Concluding the project visit, MP Lukas Mandl, leading the delegation of Members of the European Parliament said “We were happy to see that our EU funding contributes to scaling up local SMEs. We saw that locally owned private enterprises can make a real difference throughout the value chain, starting from small banana farmers and milk producers, with scaled-up technology, and grants for better equipment. The GRASP projects we have seen create employment, improve food security, and build on and improve the capacity of local people. In this case we in particular provide technology support to avoid banana diseases which could impact a vast number of people negatively.”
Representing ITC, Mr. Umer Arfi, SME Development Specialist, noted that “GRASP’s partnership model enables small enterprises to scale their operations, adopt climate-smart technologies, and contribute more meaningfully to rural economies.”
Mr. Sohail Khan Bangash, Operations Lead GRASP at PPAF added that “supporting local enterprises through matching grants helps communities move beyond subsistence, building stronger, more resilient livelihoods that benefit entire districts.”
The visit underscored how initiatives like GRASP are instrumental in promoting rural enterprises, driving innovation, and improving livelihoods across Sindh’s agribusiness sector. By supporting small and medium enterprises such as S. Nizamani Enterprise, the project continues to strengthen rural economies and foster sustainable, inclusive growth.
About GRASP
The Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP), a European Union funded project for poverty reduction and sustainable inclusive economic growth, is being implemented by International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Focused on selected districts of Balochistan & Sindh, it is providing technical and financial assistance in livestock and horticulture sectors for improving commercial viability of MSMEs and for a conducive policy regime.