Agri sector going high-tech: experts

HYDERABAD:

The agriculture sector's reliance on modern technologies is growing as climate change and food shortages loom. At the International Conference on Agricultural Engineering and Technologies (ICAET-2026) at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), experts stressed the need for technology-driven farming to ensure sustainability, productivity, and resilience.

SAU Vice Chancellor Dr Altaf Ali Siyal highlighted precision-based management, GIS, and remote sensing as tools to monitor soil, drought, rainfall, and greenhouse gases, noting their role in reducing post-harvest losses. He underscored Pakistan's challenges of climate change, water scarcity, soil degradation, and energy constraints, urging academia to foster innovation and industry linkages.

Sindh Agriculture Research Department DG Dr Mazharuddin Keerio warned of extreme weather impacts on cotton, rice, bananas, maize, and vegetables. He emphasized farmer training, improved researcher-farmer communication, and modern irrigation practices to curb soil degradation and boost yields. Pakistan Society of Agricultural Engineers President Engr Mansoor Rizvi stressed the need for government financial support to provide affordable, eco-friendly machinery to small farmers.