Livestock are important for Pakistan's rural households as well as the national economy. These smallholder families are dependent on milk and meat for household food security and daily income. 

The horticulture sector in Pakistan is significant, both domestically and for export production. Highvalue horticultural crops, such as citrus, mangoes and vegetables, are an important source of farm income.

ACIAR's crops programs aim to help small farmers reap the economic, nutritional and soil fertility benefits from crops. Projects cover chickpeas, lentils, groundnuts, mungbeans and wheat. 

Water is the key to poverty reduction and economic development in Pakistan. It is considered by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as already one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. ACIAR has partnered Australian science with local expertise since the 1990s to understand and manage salinity. Highly participative research has ranged from monitoring soil moisture in crops to managing access to irrigation supplies.

Technical advances in irrigation, pest control or animal health offer enormous potential gains. However, smallholders cannot take advantage without access to information and resources and the ability to make decisions and take action.  ACIAR’s policy research in Pakistan provides independent insights and options to enable inclusive development of the rural sector.