Muhammad Saleem

Tech-savvy agricultural graduates can transform traditional cultivation practices, and the country’s educational institutions should devise practical strategies to empower them. Talking to WealthPK, Malik Zafar, a progressive farmer from Jaranwala, said the future of food production rely on the youth, as they are tech-savvy and their inclination towards the agriculture sector can bring a revolution. “We have to tap the potential of our youth by showing them the right direction. Unfortunately, we could not give them any direction so far. Agricultural challenges are reshaping the entire cultivation patterns of Pakistan but our farmers are reluctant to adopt new cultivation methods. Only the youth can lead the way in agricultural advancements. Without engaging them in agriculture, we cannot have a secure future,” he said. Talking to WealthPK, Dr Khan from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), said agriculture was once considered purely labor-intensive but now the scenario had changed and it was no longer just about manual labor, as climate change was hitting its all segments.

“From selection of seeds, land cultivation, harvesting and storage, everything is changing now. We need progressive and tech-savvy growers who can face the emerging challenges, as hard work alone is not sufficient now,” he said. He said graduates with agricultural knowledge and technological skills could transform the current agricultural landscape of Pakistan. We have to go for precision agriculture, data analysis, and automation to enhance production by minimizing the losses, he added. “Effective use of resources, farm management, and optimization of crop yields are crucial for the success of the agriculture sector. We have to engage the youth in the agriculture sector and equip them with modern tools,” he suggested. Muhammad Ahmed, a graduate from the UAF, said, “Theoretically, we learned a lot at the university but we lack practical knowledge. We have not been trained in the use of modern gadgets. We only know how to cultivate seasonal crops with traditional methods; however, such methods are fast losing their utility,” he added. “Sensing the changing scenario, we have to introduce aritech solutions like user-friendly applications, which can enable the farmers to collect real-time data to monitor soil moisture, weather patterns, and pest presence.

Unfortunately, many farmers lack such tools that can help them make data-driven decisions. It's also ironic that our farmers are not tech-savvy and seem hesitant to learn,” he added. Criticizing the curriculum, he said teachers were only grounding their students in theory though agriculture needed the theory to translate into practice in line with the changing scenario. “We must go for modern greenhouses equipped with sensors that have the capacity to monitor temperature, humidity, and light levels. Without keeping an eye on climate, good yields could not be ensured.” Dr Khan said it's untrue that the students were not getting knowledge about the modern cultivation methods, as the UAF had set up state-of-the-art agricultural farms where the students and teachers collaborate to explore and implement new methods. Malik Zafar urged the government to initiate a pilot project to train the tech-savvy agricultural graduates and then send them to the fields. He believed through this project, the government could efficiently bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practice.

Credit: INP-WealthPk