KARACHI/SANGHAR: These days Shah Nawaz Behan only plants 5 kilograms of cotton seeds per acre instead of the usual 10 and has to supply the field with half the amount of water — all thanks to a precision farming program launched by a private tech company in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
Precision agriculture refers to using a combination of advanced technologies like IoT sensors — electronic chips that sense system conditions and transmit data to the Internet — and satellite imagery to increase crop yield. It involves recording as well as analyzing soil and weather data to provide farmers with real-time data on crops so they can make more informed decisions about use of seeds, water and pesticides, among other issues.
In Sindh, one of Pakistan’s regions hardest hit by climate change, agri-tech company Crop2X has piloted the first-ever IoT-based climate-resilient precision agriculture project for local farmers in Sanghar district.
Crop2X initiated the 18-month-long project in March this year, funded by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation 2.0. The program will help approximately 50 small and low-level private farmers restore their agricultural lands across Sindh.
“This type of farming has been fruitful and we have benefited a lot from this,” Behan told Arab News.
Humaira Rana, Crop2X’s project manager, said through the GSMA project, farmers in Sindh could save water resources by half and reduce their fertilizer and pesticide costs to around one-third. Since March, farmers had already saved 37.5 percent of agricultural water, increased crop yield by 27 percent, reduced the use of fertilizers by 27.7 percent and cut the use of pesticides by 34.4 percent, Rana added.
The way the project works is that Crop2X has deployed sensor probe into fields to capture soil and weather data, which is uploaded to cloud data storage, from where farmers are provided analyzes, adviseries and weekly reports prepared by the company’s agronomists to guide them on how to increase crop yield, save costs and reduce environmental impact.
The sensor probe measure the pH values, conductivity, salinity, nutrients and moisture levels of the soil and farmers receive the information in the form of mobile and web-based applications.
“So, farmers with low literacy rate are being updated about the field condition and advisory through mobile SMS and calls,” Rana explained.
Behan, who had been facing the issues of water shortages and overuse of pesticides and seeds, employed the technique on 20 of 200 acres of his ancestral agricultural land.
“By the Grace of Allah, all three issues have been resolved,” Behan said, adding that he was now saving on pesticides, water and seeds while his crop yield had also increased.
“Average crop production has also enhanced due to new farming methods. Earlier the per acre average of cotton was 30 maunds, which has now gone beyond 50 maunds.”
“CLIMATE CHANGE”
Across South Asia and Africa, a growing number of smallholder farmers are tapping into digital technologies to access information, services and products to improve efficiency, boost crop yields and increase incomes.
From India to Kenya, a slew of innovations in agricultural technology have emerged over the last decade to serve small farmers, who have long been neglected, yet are crucial to the continent’s food security. These range from SMS weather alerts and mobile apps offering credit, seeds and machinery to more advanced solutions such as precision farming.
During the last 50 years, experts say the use of fertilizers worldwide has increased eightfold, resulting in rich harvests but carrying a high price for the environment. In intensifying crop cultivation, farmers also employed more agricultural machinery and applied massive amounts of fertilizers that led to soil degradation, water pollution, and accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
Agriculture accounts for 24 percent of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, which makes it the world’s second-largest emitter after the energy sector.
As Earth warms and floods and droughts occur more often, yields are declining, and farming is becoming more difficult in many places. Estimates show that climate change may reduce global agriculture productivity by 17 percent by 2050.
Research suggests that technology should play a major role in making farming more sustainable, without sacrificing productivity or farmer’s incomes, and with precision agriculture being a large part of the solution. The World Economic Forum estimates that, if 15-25 percent of farms adopted precision agriculture, global yield could be increased by 10-15 percent by 2030, while greenhouse gas emissions and water use could be reduced by 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
According to Rana, precision agriculture was “crucial” for Sindh given its susceptibility to climate change catastrophes. The province accounted for over 70 percent total losses and damages in the devastating rains and floods of 2022 that killed over 1,700 people, inflicted damages of over $30 billion on the national economy and affected 33 million people across the country.
“By optimizing water use, adapting to unpredictable rainfall patterns, and mitigating drought effects, farmers can conserve water resources, enhance crop yields, and ensure food security in a region highly vulnerable to climate change,” Rana said.
Farmers like Behan, who now plans to employ precision methods on wheat crops after the successful experiment with cotton, agree and hope others in Sindh will follow suit.
“Ever since I installed this technology, my neighboring farmers have also contacted me,” Behan said, “and they also want to use this technology and work with it.”
Farmers in Pakistan’s Sindh province click with digital tools to boost crops
https://arab.news/4vnh2
Farmers in Pakistan’s Sindh province click with digital tools to boost crops
- Crop2X agri-tech company has piloted first-ever IoT-based climate-resilient precision farming project for farmers in Sanghar district
- The project uses precision farming, employing satellite, drone imagery and soil sensors to provide real-time data on crop health
Pakistan PM congratulates Christian officer Julian Moazzam James on promotion to major-general rank
- Twenty-two brigadiers were promoted to the rank of major-general in Pakistan Army this week
- Helen Mary Roberts earlier became first Christian woman brigadier in 76-year history of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated a Christian army officer, Julian Moazzam James, on his promotion to the rank of major-general, Sharif’s office said.
Twenty-two brigadiers were promoted to the rank of major-general in Pakistan Army this week, according to local media reports. The promotions were approved by the Pakistan Army Promotion Board.
In a statement issued by his office, the prime minister expressed his best wishes for Maj. Gen. James in the future.
“The services of the Christian community for the development and defense of Pakistan are unforgettable,” Sharif said. “Maj. Gen. Julian Moazzam James’ professional skills and hard work are a beacon for the young generation.”
Earlier this year, Helen Mary Roberts became the first Christian woman brigadier in the 76-year history of Pakistan. Brig. Roberts belonged to the Army Medical Corps.
Several other members of minority religious communities have also been serving in the Pakistan military on different ranks.
Muslim-majority Pakistan has strived for religious inclusivity in recent years amid continuing social challenges for minority communities.
Last year, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir commended the role played by the country’s Christian community in its development during a Christmas celebration at Christ Church in Rawalpindi.
He praised their contributions to promoting quality education, health care and philanthropy, as well as their notable contributions to national defense.
Senior counter-terrorism official, passerby killed in Karachi gun attack — police
- Deputy Superintendent of Police Ali Raza was posted in investigation cell of Sindh counter-terrorism department
- The officer had been actively involved in operations against drug gangs, Pakistani Taliban and sectarian groups
KARACHI: A senior counter-terrorism official and a passerby were killed in a gun attack in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, police officials said on Sunday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ali Raza was posted in investigation cell of counter-terrorism department (CTD) of Sindh provincial police.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Asif Ejaz Shaikh said two attackers had opened fire on the police officer in Karimabad area.
“It’s hard to say anything at this time, but all CTD officers have been receiving threats,” he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police surgeon Dr. Summayia Syed told Arab News that DSP Ali Raza had received multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, neck and head.
“The bullets were removed,” she told Arab News. “The family didn’t allow a complete postmortem.”
A 38-year-old passerby, Waqar, who worked as a guard with a private security company, was also injured in the attack and succumbed to his injuries during treatment at Jinnah Hospital.
“Waqar had sustained serious gunshot injuries to the chest, flank and inguinal region,” Syed added.
DSP Raza had been actively involved in operations against drug gangs based in Karachi’s Lyari area, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and various sectarian groups, according to Raja Umar Khattab, a senior police officer and a longtime colleague of Raza.
“Ali Raza was a brilliant officer with several successful operations against outlawed groups to his credit,” Khattab told Arab News. “Today, the CTD has lost one of its key team members.”
Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub, has had a decades-long history of violence, especially against the law enforcers, by militant groups as well as political, drug and other mafias.
In 2013, the then government of three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif had sanctioned a joint operation against militants and violent criminals in the city, which significantly brought down the crime rate in the subsequent years.
However, sporadic incidents of targeted killings are still reported, while street crimes have continued unabated in the city of more than 20 million.
Army rescues ailing Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig from K2 base camp
- Baig was leading an international expedition, comprising Pakistani and Italian woman climbers
- She had to abandon the expedition on July 5 after her health condition deteriorated seriously
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army has rescued ailing Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig from the K2 base camp in the country’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, the Pakistani military said on Sunday.
Baig, a renowned Pakistani mountaineer, was leading an international K2 expedition, comprising Pakistani and Italian woman climbers.
She had to quit the expedition on July 5 after her health deteriorated seriously, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
An army aviation flight could not airlift Baig because of bad weather in the area and she was now being transferred to GB’s Skardu city via road.
“Samina Baig’s health has improved due to decrease in height, while a team of doctors of Pakistan Army is also ready at CMH (Combined Military Hospital) Skardu,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Samina Baig’s further transfer from Skardu will be decided after evaluating her health condition.”
Baig is the first Pakistani woman mountaineer to summit the world’s highest peak Everest and K2. She has also scaled Nanga Parbat and the Seven Summits in seven continents.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains that loom above 8,000 meters, including K2 and Nanga Parbat, which are known for their treacherous climbs.
These mountains attract climbers from all parts of the world. According to official figures, over 8,900 foreigners visited the remote Gilgit-Baltistan region in 2023 where the summer climbing season runs from early June to late August.
Earlier this month, a 64-year-old Japanese climber, who summited the 7,027-meter high Spantik “Golden Peak” mountain, was found dead near Camp II of the mountain, according to Pakistani officials. The mountaineer, Onishi Hiroshi, fell into a crevasse, a deep crack formed in glaciers or ice sheets, while descending from the peak.
In June, Pakistan’s army rescued Estonian climber Saama Marie who injured her leg while attempting to scale Nanga Parbat.
As climate change threatens Pakistan mango exports, surge in Middle East demand offers some hope
- Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest mango producer and its export generates millions of dollars in revenue, according to exporters
- Additionally, mangoes serve as a cultural symbol and a diplomatic tool that help the government strengthen international connections
ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (APFVEA) said on Sunday that Pakistan might not meet its target of exporting 100,000 metric tons of mangoes this year due to adverse effects of climate change on its production, with officials pinning their hopes on a surge in demand from the Middle East.
Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest mango producer and the fruit export generates millions of dollars in revenue annually, according to the APFVEA. Additionally, mangoes serve as a cultural symbol and a diplomatic tool that help the government strengthen international connections.
Pakistan has faced mango export challenges in recent years due to adverse weather, and pest and fruit fly infestation, with production declining for the third consecutive year in 2024.
The country produces around 1,800,000 metric tons of mangoes annually, with 70 percent grown in Punjab, 29 percent in Sindh and one percent grown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“We had set a target of exporting 100,000 metric tons of mangoes this season, but it seems unachievable due to the pronounced negative impact of climate change on Pakistan’s mango orchards resulting in less production and a lack of export-quality mangoes,” Muhammad Shehzad Sheikh, the APFVEA chairman, told Arab News.
Due to the weather this year, he said, mango production was down by up to 40 percent in Punjab and 20 percent in Sindh, reducing the overall production by around 600,000 metric tons.
He said the APFVEA reduced this year’s target because it could not achieve the export target of 125,000 metric tons last year and exported only 100,000 metric tons of mangoes in 2023.
“With the export of 100,000 metric tons of mangoes during the current season, if achieved, a valuable foreign exchange of $90 million would be generated,” Sheikh said.
Expressing grave concerns, the APFVEA chairman said the effects of climate change on fruit cultivation, particularly mangoes, as well as on the larger agricultural sector were intensifying with each passing year.
“Extended winters, heavy rains, hailstorms and subsequent severe heatwaves have altered disease patterns throughout the seasons,” he explained, stressing an urgent need for research-based solutions to mitigate these effects and warning that failure to promptly do so could further jeopardize mango production and exports.
Besides climate change, the sector faces challenges like increased withholding tax and higher costs of electricity, gas, transportation, garden maintenance, pesticides and water management, which make it difficult to compete with other exporters, according to Sheikh.
On the contrary, officials said that despite production delays caused by climate change, there had been a surge in demand for Pakistani mangoes, particularly in the Middle East, that would not only make it possible to achieve the export target, but the country was also expected to exceed it.
“While the final figures will be clear by the end of the season in September, we expect around a 20 percent increase compared to last year,” Rashid Gillani, a deputy manager at the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), told Arab News. “Our target is to exceed $120 million worth of [overall] mango exports.”
Last year, around 50 percent of all Pakistani mango exports went to the Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Iran, according to the APFVEA.
Gillani said operations were now running smoothly despite production delays and more fruit was ready to be shipped, noting that TDAP had organized several mango festivals in different countries with the assistance of Pakistani missions to increase the export of the fruit.
On Saturday, the Pakistani embassy in the UAE organized a mango festival event at the Pakistan Association Dubai, in collaboration with the Pakistan Business Council. The event was attended by diplomats, foreign dignitaries, community members and government officials.
Speaking to Arab News, Ali Zeb, commercial counselor at the Pakistani embassy, said the demand for Pakistani mangoes had been steadily increasing in the Emirates and it was expected to further enhance this year, following a positive response from visitors at the Dubai festival.
“In 2022, Pakistani mango exports to the UAE totaled 41,000 metric tons, valued at $27 million, marking a 16 percent increase from the previous year,” he said. “In 2023, exports grew to approximately 50,000 metric tons, worth $31 million.”
This upward trend in mango exports to the UAE was likely to continue this year as well, Zeb added.
New head coach Gillespie vows consistency in Pakistan Test side
- Gillespie will start two-year tenure with two-match series against Bangladesh next month followed by three against England in October
- Pakistan will also tour South Africa for two Tests in December before hosting the West Indies in as many Tests in January next year
KARACHI: Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie Sunday vowed to make Pakistan a consistent side after taking charge as red-ball coach with a hectic six-month schedule in focus.
The 49-year-old will start his two-year tenure with a two-match series against Bangladesh next month followed by three against England in October — both at home.
Pakistan will also tour South Africa for two Tests in December before hosting the West Indies in as many Tests in January next year.
Gillespie, who arrived early Sunday, said Pakistan are a “talented” side but need consistency.
“How can they be more consistent is one thing that I am hoping I can find some solutions for,” Gillespie told a news conference.
He hoped Pakistan can improve on their fifth position in the current World Test Championship cycle, competed by nine teams since 2019.
“Ultimately we want to win games of Test cricket,” said Gillespie.
“There are skillful cricketers here, how can we play as a team and perform well against good quality international oppositions and that’s going to be the key for us.”
Hailing from one of Australia’s best Test sides in 1990s and 2000s, Gillespie played 71 Tests, 91 one-day internationals and a solitary T20I in a successful career.
He coached Yorkshire to win the English County Championship in 2014 and 2015.
Gillespie was hired to improve Pakistan’s Test side that lost 1-0 to Australia in 2022 before suffering their first-ever 3-0 home white-wash at the hands of England the same year.
Pakistan were routed 3-0 in Australia last year — their sixth series white-wash in Australia since 1999 — which Gillespie believed was not one-sided.
“As an observer from outside, I think there were some moments in games where Pakistan were on top but could not finish well,” Gillespie reflected.
Pakistan squandered good positions in the second Test in Melbourne and the third in Sydney through crucial dropped catches, leaving them tagged as a poor fielding side.
He said Pakistan needed to be smart to counter what he termed England’s “very aggressive” style of playing Tests, dubbed as “Bazball” after their coach Brendon McCullum’s nickname.
“England will be a challenge, no doubt about that. But I think we are certainly up to it,” said. “We are going to play very smart.”
Smarting from a first round exit in both the ODI World Cup last year in India and Twenty20 in USA and the West Indies last month where South African Gary Kirsten was head coach, Pakistan will begin their Test series against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi from August 21-25.
The second Test is in Karachi from August 30 to September 3.
They face England in three Tests starting in Multan (October 7-11), Karachi (Oct 15-19) and Rawalpindi (October 24-28).
