LAHORE: Agricultural productivity can be increased by 70 percent by the year 2050 using Internet of Things (IoT) as rise of digital agriculture and its related technologies has opened a wealth of new data opportunities and has the potential to change agriculture sector.
Technologies such as laser land levelling, solar-powered high efficiency irrigation systems, smart water grids and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now being used for agriculture.
Leveraging drone technology in agriculture will enable farmers to increase their productivity through improved pest management and increased precision. Globally, the usage of agricultural drones is growing due to their increasing applications such as aerial mapping, plant health monitoring, and soil analysis and weed detection.
In China alone, the number of agriculture drones has more than doubled within a year to over 50,000.
Pakistan must also make use of these innovative technologies for improved productivity and resource management, said the experts from different agricultural technology companies while speaking at a workshop arranged by the CropLife Pakistan and Agriculture Journalists Association (AJA) recently.
The COVID-19 presents the world with enormous challenges. While the pandemic is largely seen as an urban and industrial issue by many, the agriculture sector needs equal, if not more, attention since it will put more pressure on our food systems that were already under strain.
Even before the onset of coronavirus, an estimated 21 million people in Pakistan were already facing acute food security; while food was 16 percent more expensive in November 2019 compared to the previous year (UN World Food Program).
Climate change and environmental shocks has increased the intensity of extreme weather events such unprecedented heat waves and unusual rain spells. To make matters worse, severe locust infestations in the region this year has also affected domestic food production.
These existing challenges are pushed to the forefront due to COVID-19 which has accelerated the need for immediate response to the food insecurity.
There is a need for a more sustainable and technologically advanced approach to agriculture that protects and enhances the natural resource base, while increasing productivity.
Pakistan must adopt practices that involve good stewardship of our natural resources, allowing for farmers to grow more with less by planting high-yielding crops made possible through advanced breeding techniques and utilizing digital insights and precision agriculture for improved agronomy and efficient water usage, experts said.
Atif Kamal, General Manager Agriculture Solutions BASF, speaking on this occasion said that the world needs more innovation in agriculture as there would be 50 percent more food, feed and bio-fuel needed by the year 2050 when the population of the world has been estimated at 10 billion people. That population would need 70 percent more meat and all this has to be produced keeping in view the 17 per cent harvest losses, 12 million hectares of agricultural land loss per annum and efforts to protect the natural resources.
Others speakers include Executive Director CropLife Pakistan Muhammad Rashid, Muhammad Asim Technology Lead Buyer Pakistan spoke on tools of modern agriculture (biotech, gene editing, breeding), Murtaza Qaddusi on importance of protecting IP in attracting investment, Azeem Niazi on Tools of Modern Agriculture and others.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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