Pakistan seeks to enhance agricultural productivity thru modern technology: minister

ISLAMABAD: In its efforts to enhance agricultural productivity, the Pakistani government has been focused on using modern technology to meet domestic demands and enhance exports, Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud said.

"There is a need to improve agricultural productivity through farm mechanisation and promote agricultural credit for rural economies, especially to purchase modern technologies," the minister said while addressing a seminar on agribusiness.

The use of productive irrigation methods like drip irrigation, and sprinkler irrigation, and optimum use of intermediate inputs like fertilizers, seeds and pesticides for better production of crops are required, he said, adding that converting raw produce into value-added products can promote agribusiness.

Murtaza said low-cost enterprise development programs like honey bee keeping and floriculture are being promoted in order to create employment opportunities for rural youths.

The government has also been organizing training programs to provide knowledge on the application of gain-sharing tools and share best practices to make agribusiness enterprises more productive and profitable, the minister said.

He further noted that the challenge at the moment is to better integrate small-scale farmers into markets so that they can make the agricultural sector stronger.