FAISALABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said that knowledge-based agriculture is lifeline of Pakistan, which needs to be promoted to overcome environmental challenges and address food needs, in addition to transforming country from net food importer to net food exporting country.

Addressing inaugural ceremony of ‘Natural Agri-Innovation Centre’, near Sahianwala Interchange here he said that human intervention changed natural balance between population and resources. “We must improve our demography by controlling population explosion,” he stated.

He said that climatic changes played havoc with Pakistan and in particular mentioned billion tree tsunami campaign, saying that it was need of hour to address environmental challenges. He said some countries introduced drip and sprinkle irrigation to save precious water and Pakistan could follow suit. 

“We channelise 158 million acres feet water through glaciers and rains, out of it hardly 4 million acres is required to be drained into sea to save coastal belt from backlash of saline sea water,” he said. Remaining water must be stored or utilised for irrigation in addition to replenishing our underground water reservoirs. He said that hydroponic crops were successfully developed in some regions of world. “We must utilise artificial intelligence to get maximum yield from different crops,” he suggested. He stressed need for solarisation of indigenous agriculture farms and said that it could return capital invested within a short period of two years. He said that tunnel farming over an area of one-kanal may cost only Rs 2.5 million, which could yield maximum dividends within two to three years. Youth could also avail financing facility under Kamyab Jawan programme.

He directed Provincial Agriculture Minister Hussain Jahania Gardezi to set key performing indicators and establish at least 500-600 modern agriculture farms. In this connection, academia could also be engaged on partnership basis. Malik Amin Aslam Khan former minister for environmental changes identified perils of environmental changes and said that Pakistan was listed among top three countries which were vulnerable to big environmental changes. Earlier, Waseem Afzal Chairman Naturals Farms highlighted latest Dutch model technology being used in this farm sprawling over 2.5 acres of land.

Minister for Communication and Works Ali Afzal Sahi, Divisional Commissioner Shahid Niaz, Deputy Commissioner Imran Hamid Sheikh, President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr Khurram Tariq, former parliamentarians Dr Nisar Jatt, Muhammad Afzal Sahi and Akram Sahi attended event.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 28 2022

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