PM initiative for capacity building of agriculture graduates hailed in KP
PESHAWAR (APP): In a significant move to revitalize Pakistan’s ailing agricultural sector, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has recently announced capacity building of agriculture graduates that was widely hailed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The initiative includes sending of1000 agriculture graduates to China to help modernize the country’s agricultural research institutions and increase agriculture production.
Similarly, 300 selected graduates are being sent to China for a 3-month training program in the first phase and 400 graduates to undergo a 6-month training program in second phase followed by the remaining 300 graduates who will participate in a 3-month training program in the final phase.
The package also prioritizes research and development, encouraging the adoption of modern farming techniques and climate-resilient crops.
“Finally, someone is thinking about the farmers and young agriculture graduates,” says Riazul Haq, a wheat grower from Nowshera. The training of young agriculture graduates in China alone could help combating climate change challenges and save thousands of rupees being spent on pesticides and fertilizers each season after capacity building of agriculture graduates, he said.
He said a notable feature of the intiative is its focus on empowering young graduates, who make up the backbone of the country’s agriculture but often lack the resources to compete internationally due to financial constraints.
The government has already announced plans for interest-free loans, crop insurance schemes, and training programs to help them transition to modern agriculture practices.
Experts believe that if implemented effectively, the historic initiative could transform rural livelihoods and reduce Pakistan’s dependency on food imports.
“It’s a great step in the right direction,” says Professor Dr. Muhammad Naeem, an agriculture economist and former Chairman Economics Department at University of Peshawar.
He said the recent unusual hailstorms alongwith rains have caused negative effects on the standing wheat crops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The hailstorms on one side caused substantial damages to solar panels while on otherside affected standing wheat crop in parts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, urging KP Govt to provide compensation to the affected farmers.
He said the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif”s landmark intiative came on a right time after climate challenges has started negative implications on agriculture.
“Arable land is shrinking due to its overuse for the non-agricultural purposes — like transport projects, infrastructure development, new settlement patterns and establishing industries closer to water resources.”
He said the glaciers were melting fast due to global warming with increase chances of floods as evident of 2022 in Swat in future.
Furthermore, he said that cultivable land is diminishing due to overgrazing of livestock in KP which tramples the soil squeezing out air, water and nutrients.
He said Govt needs to develop agriculture as environment friendly to meet the food demand of Pakistanis which is expected to rise by 35% in the year 2030.
“Agriculture accounts for 25% of Pakistan’s GDP. The country is one of the world’s top producers of food crops and fruits. Nevertheless, its productivity remains insufficient for domestic as well as commercial needs due to population explosion,” said Dr Naeem.
He said warmer temperatures can disturb the process of pollination at the time plants bloom and air pollution affects the photosynthesis process in plants and increases crop sensitivity to various diseases.
He said climate change was negatively impacting the quality of water in lakes, rivers and other wetlands which further disturbed eco-system and is affecting coastal communities already stressed by pollution, warming marine waters and ocean acidification.
The diverse range of crops should be encouraged to minimise environmental degradation by using holistic approach of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA).
New methods of intensified farming adaptable to local conditions should be encouraged to reduce the food insecurity affecting more than 30% of population.
Dr Naeem said that farmers need to use modern agriculture techniques and significantly increases its present 47% of total land under cultivation.
Transforming farming on modern lines by globalising agricultural techniques for the benefit of agrarian community is important to learn from diverse experiences about how to avoid using conventional methods.
Dr Naeem said new practices of monitoring health of plants and livestock need to be applied, and hydroponic system should be encouraged to cut down on fertilisers and pesticides.
To take full advantage of the PM intiative, he said extensive training may be given to young agriculture graduates in artificial intelligence to increase farm inputs, protect crops from insects through aerial sprays and ensure crop surveillance through drone technology.
He said the government should facilitate farming community for cultivating those crops which are climate change resistant and required internationally.
