The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is launching an emergency project through its Technical Co-operation Programme (TCP) in Pakistan to help impoverished farmers in increasing the agricultural production, says a press release. While commenting on the food crisis in Pakistan, FAO Assistant Representative Syed Mohammad Ali said. "Soaring food prices have hit this country particularly hard. An increased demand for food, rising price of energy and input 'costs, along with, Pakistan being frequently struck by natural disasters in the past few years has severally undermined the local food production." Anticipating the widespread impact of soaring food prices, in December 2007, the FAO launched ISFP to help vulnerable countries put in place urgent measures to boost food supplies. For the medium and long-term, the FAO is aiming at a more comprehensive assistance programme towards agricultural development by targeting investments to boost agricultural production and income generation, monitoring and response mechanisms, including safety nets, and small farmers urgent assistance programmes. The FAO's initial response under the ISFP in Pakistan includes TCP project worth $500,000 through the third quarter of 2009. The regional disparity index reflects that North West Frontier Province (NWFP) is the worst affected province followed by Sindh; FAO is planning to target the populations of Shangla, Kohistan and Batagram where 50 percent people live below the poverty line and are the most backward districts of NWFP. FAO Emergency Co-ordinator Dr Faizul Sari said under the approved TCP, FAO is focusing on Rabi sowing activities from October until December 2009 to bolster wheat production in deficient areas. In addition, FAO is providing fertilisers, which are petroleum-based and thus also out of reach of poor farmers as oil prices break new records every day. In total, the Food and Agricultural Organisation will be providing 250 tonnes of wheat seed, 250 tonnes each of urea and DAP to 60,000 people in the remote and food in-secure districts of Kohistan, Shangla and Batagrani of NWFP.-PR