There is a strong need to launch an initiative to digitise agriculture
PESHAWAR: Pakistan is an agricultural country. Agriculture is backbone of the country’s economy. According to Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2016, agriculture contributed 20 per cent of GDP that accounts for 42.3 per cent of Pakistan’s employed labour force. Despite its importance, the agriculture sector is suffering from unpredictability in growth and its performance remains subdued. According to Pakistan’s Economic Survey 2014-15, insufficient progress in technological innovation, limited progressive farming techniques, marketing and trade restrictions, low prices of crops and traditional processing methods are major reasons for low production. Around 40 per cent of the total agricultural production was wasted in post-harvest due to insufficient utilisation of biotechnology. In this scenario, use of biotechnology seems to be the most fitting solution to revive this sector.
There is a strong need to launch an initiative to digitise agriculture and provide necessary information to farmers to increase production. It is heartening to note that a mobile company operating in Pakistan has taken the initiative in this regard but the services of this initiative are limited to certain regions, which needs to be extended to the whole country.
Khan Faraz
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2017.
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