KARACHI: In a bid to digitize the traditional agriculture value chain, GrowTech Services is implementing data-driven, scientific-based agriculture services in collaboration with Karandaaz Pakistan.
To enable this, it has developed the GrowPak app, which provides tailor-made solutions allowing farmers to manage their crops for better yields.
Pakistan known as the land of agriculture, grapples with challenges like wasteful water usage, costly fertilizers, and a need for proper resources for its farmers.
The GrowPak app uses satellite imagery to address these issues through technology to provide tailored reports for farmers. Notably, this development has significantly improved irrigation efficiency, considerably reducing the time to irrigate fields, thus saving resources and enhancing cost-effectiveness.
The agricultural sector in Punjab is central to Pakistan’s economy and food security as it accounts for 73 per cent of the country’s total food production.
According to the World Bank, there is a dire need to transform the agricultural sector by adopting climate-smart technologies to improve water-use efficiency, build resilience to extreme weather events and increase the incomes of small farmers.
Sharjeel Murtaza, Director of Digital Financial Services at Karandaaz, said, “There are financial challenges in small-scale farming. Our successful experiment with GrowTech in South Punjab showed that timely information through a mobile app plays a crucial role in farmers’ progress.”
To ensure the widespread adoption of digital agriculture, GrowTech Services, in collaboration with Karandaaz, established a Digital Kisaan Point in Bahawalpur, a region with numerous smallholder farmers. Faisal Bilal, Founder and CEO of GrowTech Services, emphasizes the focus on digitizing small-scale farming in Bahawalpur.
“Through a collaboration with Karandaaz, we established a digital agriculture centre, offering tailored training to farmers, enabling them to understand and benefit from GrowTech’s digital solutions,” said Bilal.
This innovative collaboration combines GrowTech’s expertise in agricultural technology with Karandaaz’s commitment to financial inclusion, fostering a transformative solution for farmers facing challenges in resource management and outdated farming practices.
Furthermore, the project aligns with the Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018, which promotes massive expansion of water conservation efforts, enhancing sustainability and resilience in the wake of climate change, and private sector participation to help boost the productivity of the sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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