Fields of reform

PAKISTAN, as is known far and wide, is predominantly an agricultural country where nearly 37 per cent of the labour force is directly associated with the agriculture sector. The agro-economy remains the backbone of Pakistan’s financial system, contributing approximately 19pc to the national gross domestic product (GDP). Despite such significance, the country’s farming practices remain outdated and inefficient. This inefficiency results in poor productivity, making it difficult for farmers to meet the demands of a growing population, or to compete across global markets.
To tackle these challenges, awareness campaigns and training programmes must be prioritised. Public-private partnerships must step forward to organise awareness seminars and capacity-building workshops at the grassroots level. Undoubtedly, these events can play a pivotal role in educating farmers about modern irrigation techniques, like drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and the use of climate-smart agricultural practices that significantly enhance productivity and water conservation, enabling a sus-tainable agricultural growth. A successful example of agricultural advancement can be seen in the Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur, which has established a state-of-the-art Date Palm Research Institute (DPRI). Khairpur is renowned for its dates, and this dedicated institution is helping revolutionise the date industry by researching and cultivating multiple species of date palms. By employing these and other scientific methods and farmer collaboration, the DPRI is enabling local farmers to irrigate date palms more efficiently, and to increase their yields considerably. The Agriculture University of Tando-jam, being a major stakeholder in pro-fessional education relevant to agriculture, must replicate such successful initiatives by developing specialised research centres for various crops, such as wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton, and fruits like mangoes and bananas. These centres could become hubs for innovation where soil health management, pest control, crop rotation, and water-efficient practices would be researched and then implemented in the field through training programmes. Pakistan’s agriculture has immense potential to contribute significantly to foreign exchange earnings through the export of surplus produce, especially if backed by technology and research. Pakistan is already the fourth-largest producer of mangoes and the fifth-largest producer of sugarcane, yet its exports remain limited due to post-harvest losses and low productivity. By adopting targeted research and innovation across all aspects of agriculture, the country can ensure food security, and also boost exports, thus strengthening the economy at large. Bridging the current gap between research institutions and farmers is now a necessity, not an option.
Sajjad Hussain Cheehani
Agra, Sindh