Climate Smart Tech initiative launched

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has launched an innovative agricultural initiative to address the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural sector. Known as 'Climate Smart Technology (CST)' it was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Baksh Mahar at a ceremony on Saturday.

One of the components of CMT is the establishment of a modern MRL (Maximum Residue Level) laboratory which will focus on preventing the spread of Panama disease, ensuring early cotton cultivation, and testing pesticide residues to ensure public health and crop quality.

The agriculture minister stressed that although Pakistan contributes only a small fraction to global carbon emissions, it is among the nations most affected by the impacts of climate change. Agriculture, which serves as the backbone of the country's economy, has been increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, such as floods, droughts, glacial melting, and erratic rainfall patterns.

The minister said that the CMT is designed to increase crop yields using fewer resources, ultimately benefiting farmers and ensuring more stable food production. One of the key benefits of the technology include 25 to 30 per cent reduction in irrigation water used for wheat cultivation, along with a potential 10 to 15 per cent increase in production; and the introduction of double-row planting methods.