IBA students work with farmers to increase yields
High-yield cotton plants from all over the district were put on display.
SUKKUR:
Two students from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) organised a cotton plant exhibition, competition and cotton-growing seminar in Nara tehsil, Khairpur Mirs and invited farmers and stakeholders, according to a press release issued by IBA on Wednesday.
This was the first exhibition and seminar of its kind in the region. High-yield cotton plants from all over the district were put on display. Agriculture experts were available to talk about the latest cotton-growing techniques and the importance of modern agriculture.
The organisers, BBA Entrepreneurship students Umair Malik and Abdul Samad Shito, have set up an innovative agri business by the name of Zarai Otaq in an underdeveloped area of Nara. The business aims to increase agricultural productivity and improve the lives of farmers by increasing their per-acre yield.
Through this program, farmers will be given free consultancy and technical support on increasing their productivity. The company will also offer an array of agricultural services to farmers. More than 6,000 acres are part of the consultancy.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Zarai Otaq CEO Umair Malik said that they we have observed that per acre output of different crops in Sindh is lower than that of the Punjab and thus growers are also earning less. Keeping this in mind, they started the project four months ago with an Insan Dost Model Farm. According to him, 2,500 farmers registered to learn how to increase yields by using less water.
Earlier on, farmers used to buy agriculture inputs at heavy interest rates, which became a burden to pay back. Now they provide it without interest and buy their yields at better rates than the local market. "At present we are working with the cotton growers, but next year we will provide modern techniques to wheat growers and other farmers," he said. "Our field officers visit different areas daily to solve the problems of the growers at their doorsteps."
The seminar was organised with the support of Target, an agriculture products company.
Two students from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) organised a cotton plant exhibition, competition and cotton-growing seminar in Nara tehsil, Khairpur Mirs and invited farmers and stakeholders, according to a press release issued by IBA on Wednesday.
This was the first exhibition and seminar of its kind in the region. High-yield cotton plants from all over the district were put on display. Agriculture experts were available to talk about the latest cotton-growing techniques and the importance of modern agriculture.
The organisers, BBA Entrepreneurship students Umair Malik and Abdul Samad Shito, have set up an innovative agri business by the name of Zarai Otaq in an underdeveloped area of Nara. The business aims to increase agricultural productivity and improve the lives of farmers by increasing their per-acre yield.
Through this program, farmers will be given free consultancy and technical support on increasing their productivity. The company will also offer an array of agricultural services to farmers. More than 6,000 acres are part of the consultancy.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Zarai Otaq CEO Umair Malik said that they we have observed that per acre output of different crops in Sindh is lower than that of the Punjab and thus growers are also earning less. Keeping this in mind, they started the project four months ago with an Insan Dost Model Farm. According to him, 2,500 farmers registered to learn how to increase yields by using less water.
Earlier on, farmers used to buy agriculture inputs at heavy interest rates, which became a burden to pay back. Now they provide it without interest and buy their yields at better rates than the local market. "At present we are working with the cotton growers, but next year we will provide modern techniques to wheat growers and other farmers," he said. "Our field officers visit different areas daily to solve the problems of the growers at their doorsteps."
The seminar was organised with the support of Target, an agriculture products company.