Comment by Riaz Haq on August 17, 2023 at 9:48am

Syngenta Pakistan, one of the leading agriculture companies has partnered with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to revolutionize sustainable food systems, bridging small farmers and end-to-end value chains for enhanced efficiency and food security.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/08/14/pakistan-china-sign-mou...

“The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for seeds, pesticides and agriculture services in chili, corn, tomato and sesame cultivation,” Vice GM CMEC Pakistan, Dai Bao told Gwadar Pro.

The signing was held at Pakistan’s First International Food and Agriculture Exhibition titled FoodAg 2023 at Expo Centre, Karachi.

Several MoU signings took place at the event. On the sideline of the exhibition, CE TDAP and Secretary Commerce held several meetings on B2B trade with individual delegations to discuss possible future collaborations and introduced Pakistan as one of the top ten producers of agriculture produce in the world.

They engaged in productive conversations on Pakistan’s export potential and how to increase the numbers while sustaining ethical and smart practices in farming, growing and packaging.

There were conversations on the treatment and export of livestock and related products too. The three-day event featured 400+ products, 200+ exhibitors and over400 international buyers to promote the untapped potential of Pakistan’s food agriculture industry.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 17, 2023 at 8:44pm

Annual milk production during 2021/2022 was estimated approximately 65.7 million tonnes, giving Pakistan a place in the list of world's top 5 milk producing countries. Dairy farming in Pakistan is fragmented and practiced on various scales both in rural and peri-urban areas mainly by private sector.

https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/B65%20-%20Tariq%20-...

Dairy sector in Pakistan plays a pivotal role in the national economy and its value is more than the
combined value of major cash-crops i.e. wheat and cotton. Annual milk production during 2021/2022 was
estimated approximately 65.7 million tonnes, giving Pakistan a place in the list of world’s top 5 milk
producing countries. Dairy farming in Pakistan is fragmented and practiced on various scales both in rural
and peri-urban areas mainly by private sector. However, this industry is facing challenges (nutrition,
healthcare, breeding, government support and public health) that threaten its sustainability and
livelihoods of millions of people involved in the sector

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 28, 2023 at 8:10am

India’s surging food prices are a problem not just for India
Costly government action could raise prices elsewhere


https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/08/28/indias-surging-...


To taste the effects of inflation in India, visit a fast-food restaurant. Sandwiches at Subway no longer come with a free cheese slice. Burgers at McDonald’s and Burger King are tomato-free. Restaurants are scrimping because of soaring food costs. Local eateries are hiking up the prices of tomato-based dishes—a staple across the country. In July vegetable prices increased by 37% year on year; tomato prices at some wholesale markets have surged by 1,400% over the past three months. All told, the annual food-inflation rate jumped to 11.5% in July, the highest in more than three years, pushing overall inflation to a 15-month high of 7.4%

Food prices have surged largely because of erratic weather. Heavy rains in many parts of the country have submerged farmland and disrupted supply chains. Elsewhere, heat has withered crops. At the end of July farmers across India had sown 40% less than they normally would have done by that point in the year. And now an exceptionally dry August threatens to hurt output further. Rainfall this month is set to be the lowest in more than a century.

The Reserve Bank of India is holding its nerve for now. On August 10th the central bank left interest rates unchanged for its third consecutive meeting since April. Shaktikanta Das, its governor, believes that the spike in food costs is temporary and expects prices to start falling from September. Some analysts disagree. Historically, vegetable prices have tended to increase during the monsoon months of June to September before falling back. But some economists believe that the current rise will last longer.

The government is being more proactive than the central bank. On August 19th it imposed a 40% tax on onion exports, hoping to increase domestic supply and push down prices. That announcement followed an export ban on some varieties of rice and a removal of import restrictions on tomatoes from neighbouring Nepal. The food ministry is also releasing some of its grain stocks into the market to hold down prices. More subsidised tomatoes and onions are being offered to poor households. The government is expected to spend 1trn rupees ($12bn) all told to rein in food prices.

That is understandable. With important state elections coming up and a general election scheduled for next year, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party knows that Indian voters won’t put up with expensive food. According to a national survey published last week, perceptions of the central government’s performance have fallen in recent months, partly because of inflation. Around 59% of people now believe it is doing a good job, down from 67% in January.

India’s policy responses may help contain the cost of living, but they could raise it elsewhere. Global rice prices have shot up since India restricted exports of the grain. That will hurt billions of people: about 80% of the world’s population lives in countries that are net importers of food. But climate change is likely to make policies like India’s more common.■

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 30, 2023 at 8:09pm

Google Gen AI on Agtech in Pakistan:

Pakistan is one of the world's largest producers and suppliers of food and crops. The country's agriculture sector consists of four subsectors:
Food and fiber crops
Horticulture and orchards
Livestock and dairy
Fisheries and forestry
Pakistan's major crops include wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, and maize. These crops contribute around 4.9% to the country's total GDP.
Some of the top agriculture startups in Pakistan include: Pak Agri Market, ZD&K Farms, Radical Growth, Mohalla, Khalis Fertilizers.
Some of the top agritech startups in Pakistan include:
Tazah Technologies
Agriculture Republic Pakistan
Crop2X Private Limited
Fowrry Technologies Private Limited
zamindar
SUSTAINABLE AGRI IS
Startups in Pakistan are developing IoT solutions for smart irrigation, such as solar-powered tube wells, or for animal data, such as Cowlar, a solar-powered fitbit for cows.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 30, 2023 at 8:10pm

Why aren’t farmers using new tech?
Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Aug 30, 2023

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/08/30/why-arent-farmers-using-new-...

Agtech, short for agriculture technology, is a growing industry that’s using data tools and software to help farmers improve yields and use fewer resources.

With population growth increasing the global demand for food and climate change hurting crop yields, a swift adoption of agtech may be needed now more than ever. Yet, farmers are hesitant about embracing these new technologies.

What’s in the way of farmers quickly adopting agtech, and how can the industry get more farmers on board?

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talked to reporter Belle Lin from the Wall Street Journal about her recent article on why so few farmers are using agtech. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Kai Ryssdal: Could we have a quick primer, please? What is agtech?


Belle Lin: Absolutely. Agriculture technology, agtech is really the set of tools — both hardware and software — that enables farmers growers to really get the most out of their farming resources and inputs and up boosting their yields. So that’s really the goal of this kind of current wave of farm technology. But it’s really the kind of larger ecosystem software, hardware, robotics, tractors autonomous maybe that allow farmers to kind of do their work with greater efficiency.

Ryssdal: So two things that you said there one yield and current wave, we’ll get to the yield in a minute. But I want to talk about current wave, because as you pointed out, in this piece, it’s been a decade-ish, that that sort of the bigger picture, agtech thing has been a thing.

Lin: That’s right. So it’s about a decade since data analytics and what’s sometimes known as Big Data came around. So, these massive amounts of data that oftentimes companies collect, can also be collected on Americans farms, where some of the environments where the richest data is to be collected. You can collect it on almost every single specific piece of land on the soil itself on the seeds that are planted, where they’re planted down to the type of pesticide that is applied to a single weed where that weed is located. So you can understand, you know, how specific these things can get. And that’s related to this idea of precision agriculture, where all these like very specific inputs tailored to a specific farm, help a farmer to end up doing their work in a way that’s more informed by that data, and boosts their yields with fewer resources.

Ryssdal: Right, so to that yield thing, that’s the name of this whole game — it’s getting more stuff out of the ground per acre farmed than they did before. And there’s an amazing statistic in here it says, according to the Department of Agriculture in 2017, farmers using digital soil maps, which are part of this technology produced about 49% higher winter wheat yields than farmers who didn’t. Again, that’s USDA data. And yet, the thrust of this piece is that farmers almost have too much data and kind of know what to do with it.

Lin: Yeah, absolutely. So not only is there this kind of challenge of getting farmers to use these tools, but once they’ve used them, they face this kind of data paralysis, which is how a farmer described this to me, he’s farming corn and soybean. He feels like he’s collecting so much data on all these different parts of his farm, that he doesn’t know what to do with it. And so that’s a huge problem as well across sectors where, you know, big data, data analytics has promised to kind of deliver all these efficiencies and productivity gains. But oftentimes, what consumers and these farmers feel is that they don’t have that background to say, “OK, now that I know the moisture levels of all my soil, this is what I should do,” right.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 30, 2023 at 8:11pm

Why aren’t farmers using new tech?
Kai Ryssdal and Sofia Terenzio
Aug 30, 2023

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/08/30/why-arent-farmers-using-new-...

Lin: Yeah, absolutely. So not only is there this kind of challenge of getting farmers to use these tools, but once they’ve used them, they face this kind of data paralysis, which is how a farmer described this to me, he’s farming corn and soybean. He feels like he’s collecting so much data on all these different parts of his farm, that he doesn’t know what to do with it. And so that’s a huge problem as well across sectors where, you know, big data, data analytics has promised to kind of deliver all these efficiencies and productivity gains. But oftentimes, what consumers and these farmers feel is that they don’t have that background to say, “OK, now that I know the moisture levels of all my soil, this is what I should do,” right.

Ryssdal: I do not want to sound by any means ageist here, and apologies to the young farmers out there. But the average age of a farmer in this economy right now, as you point out is like 58.

Lin: Yeah, and that’s a big problem. Those folks are not as accustomed to utilizing technology to help inform their decisions.

Ryssdal: This is perhaps a little bit of field. But there’s an infrastructure part of this as well, right, in that a lot of almost all of this probably counts on connectivity and broadband. And I imagine if you’re out in in wherever you are on the Great Plains connectivity might be bad, you might not have service.

Lin: Yeah, that’s a great point. All of what we’re talking about in terms of agtech relies on having that internet connection, reliable way of streaming the data that you collect. And so connectivity is a major problem on farms that are far flung or not as connected to the internet speeds that people in cities are used to. And so one of the problems that farmers run into is that when they’re driving their equipment over a hill, for instance, you might have connectivity and one side of the hill, but you don’t on the other.

Ryssdal: Not to put a depressing punctuation mark on this conversation, but there are — I honestly can’t remember if it’s 8 or 9 billion people on this planet now — but there are going to be more in the future. And we have to feed them all. And this is part of the way we’re going to do it and adjust to climate change too, by the way.

Lin: Yeah, theoretically, farmers could boost their yields, and that would generate more food to feed the world’s growing and hungry population, and also in a way that they’re using fewer resources. So that’s the promise of it all, but right now it’s falling a bit short.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 4, 2023 at 4:52pm

Pakistan's interim PM says Saudi Arabia to invest $25 bln over next five years


https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistans-interim-pm-say...

By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam


ISLAMABAD, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will invest up to $25 billion in Pakistan over the next two to five years in various sectors, Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Monday, adding his government would also revive a stalled privatisation process.

The South Asian nation is embarking on a tricky path to economic recovery under a caretaker government after a $3 billion loan programme, approved by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, averted a sovereign debt default.

Kakar, speaking to journalists at his official residence, said Saudi Arabia's investment would come in the mining, agriculture and information technology sectors, and was a part of a push to increase foreign direct investment in Pakistan.

There was no immediate response to a Reuters request to the Saudi Arabian government for comment on Kakar's remarks.

If confirmed, a series of investments worth $25 billion would be the biggest ever by the kingdom in Pakistan.

A longtime ally of Riyadh, Pakistan is dealing with a balance of payments crisis and requires billions of dollars in foreign exchange to finance its trade deficit and repay its international debts in the current financial year.

Kakar did not specify projects Riyadh was looking at for investment, but last month Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO) said it was open to bringing in Saudi Arabia's wealth fund as one of its partners in Pakistan's Reko Diq gold and copper mine.

Pakistan's untapped mineral deposits are conservatively valued at about $6 trillion, said Kakar, whose government is meant to be an interim set up to oversee national elections scheduled for November but are expected to be delayed by months.

Barrick considers the Reko Diq mine one of the world's largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas and it owns a 50% stake, with the remaining 50% owned by the governments of Pakistan and the province of Balochistan.

Kakar also said his government would push to complete two privatisation deals, probably for state-run power sector entities, in the next six months, and would also look to privatise another government owned enterprise outside the energy sector.

Pakistan's state owned enterprises have long been an area of concern with bleeding financials adding to financial stress. Recently Pakistan added struggling state-run Pakistan International Airlines to the privatisation list again.

The privatisation process has largely stalled in the country with selling of state assets a politically sensitive issue that many elected governments have shied away from.

Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Additional reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh; Editing by William Maclean

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 6, 2023 at 9:21pm

From Google Generative AI:


Wheat is Pakistan's most important crop, accounting for 70% of production and 37.1% of the crop area. It's a staple food crop that's critical to millions of households.
Pakistan has released 31 wheat varieties since 2021 to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production. One leading Pakistani seed company developed a hybrid wheat seed that's 40% higher per acre than conventional varieties.
Other high-yield crops in Pakistan include:
Tarnab Rehbar and Tarnab Gandum-1
These zinc-enriched varieties contain 40% more zinc than other varieties grown in Pakistan. They also have farmer-preferred traits like high yield and resistance to rust diseases.

RH-647
This new Bt. cotton variety has high yield potential and is best suited for wheat-cotton cropping patterns. It yielded significantly compared with standard varieties.
Other major crops in Pakistan include: Cotton, Rice, Sugarcane, Maize.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 7, 2023 at 7:14am

Pakistan’s potato production soared to 7.937 million tonnes in FY22 from 5.873 million tonnes in FY21, up 35 percent as the devastating floods left Punjab, the potato hub, mostly unscathed.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1107423-chinese-investors-eye-pota...

Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President Moazzam Ghurki during a think tank session held at PCJCCI Secretariat on Wednesday said Pakistan could be among the largest exporters of potato and though the country was self-sufficient in the food item, it imported 20,000 tonnes of potato seeds every year.

He suggested focusing on increasing the supply of local seeds, which could help save the precious foreign exchange reserves, which was spent on purchasing seeds from the international market, while at the same time increase the income of farmers.

If Pakistan succeeds in large-scale production of local high-quality potatoes, it could also export these edible stems to other countries, particularly in the Gulf region.

PCJCCI president added that most of the potato seeds in Pakistan had high dependence on imports, which raised the initial cost of potato production.

“About 35-40 percent of the cost goes to seeds, and there is a dire need to make it cost-effective for the low-income farmers,” Ghurki said. He urged to promote a tissue-culture laboratory for the production of affordable high-quality seeds within the country on a large scale to reduce dependence on foreign seeds.

PCJCCI Senior Vice President Fang Yulong said that Pakistani and Chinese enterprises have been working tirelessly to find opportunities for cooperation in this sector. In addition to seed production, related potato by-products are also welcomed by Chinese investors. Besides this, mechanised harvesting, pest control are also full of opportunities for investment.

“To build Pakistan’s largest potato tissue culture lab, various Chinese agricultural enterprises are involved for its practical implementation,” he added. “The most common potato diseases in Pakistan include early blight, stem rot and so on.

In contrast, Chinese varieties are more resistant to pests and diseases with higher yields, which is exactly what Pakistan needs to learn to improve our own potato germplasm,” Yulong said.

PCJCCI Vice President Hamza Khalid said, “We must ensure localised production of high-quality seeds, and at the same time improve planting technology and mechanisation level. Then we might be able to export potatoes to other countries. We have a huge potential for countries that have smaller land areas or don’t produce much of their own potatoes.”

Comment by Riaz Haq on October 19, 2023 at 11:09am

Cotton crop expected to grow by more than twice - Profit by Pakistan Today

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/10/11/cotton-crop-expected...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agricultural sector is gearing up for a transformative year with an anticipated 126.6% surge in cotton production. The revelation came to light during the High-Powered Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA)’s meeting convened to assess the agricultural landscape for the upcoming Rabi Season (2023-24).

As per details, the meeting held on October 11, at Pak Secretariat, Islamabad, was presided over by Prof. Dr. Kauser Abdullah Malik, the Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research.

The projections presented in the meeting indicate that the cotton production for the 2023-24 season is expected to reach a staggering 11.5 million bales, harvested from an extensive area covering 2.4 million hectares. This marks an increase of 126.6% over the previous season and showcases Pakistan’s ability to achieve substantial growth in its agricultural output, specifically in the cotton sector.

During the meeting, the FCA meticulously reviewed the performance of the Kharif Crops (2023-24) and laid out a detailed Production Plan for the upcoming Rabi Crops (2023-24). The discussions also delved into the critical issue of input availability for Rabi Crops, ensuring a holistic approach to agricultural planning and management.

Apart from the remarkable cotton forecasts, the committee revealed the provisional estimates for various other crops. Rice production for the 2023-24 season is expected to reach 8.64 million tons, cultivated across 3.35 million hectares, marking an increase of 12.7% in area and a remarkable 18% rise in production compared to the previous year.

Mung bean production is estimated at 143.6 thousand tons across 198 thousand hectares, showing a slight decrease in area but a commendable 6.4% increase in production. Mash production is anticipated to be 5.28 thousand tons across 7.36 thousand hectares, representing an increase of 12.95% in area and an impressive 24.65% growth in production. Furthermore, chili’s production is estimated at 1.36 thousand tons from 122.1 thousand hectares, indicating moderate increases in both area and production.

The committee, recognizing the importance of strategic targets, established production goals for various crops. Wheat, a staple crop, was set at a substantial target of 32.12 million tons, spanning 8.9 million hectares. Additionally, production targets for Gram, Potato, Onion, and Tomato were fixed at 410, 6330, 2494, and 666 thousand tons, respectively.

Addressing concerns regarding seed availability for Rabi Crops, the meeting participants were assured by DG, FSC&RD that certified seed availability for the Rabi season 2023-24 would remain satisfactory, underpinning the foundation for the anticipated bumper harvests.

However, challenges such as water scarcity were not overlooked. The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Advisory Committee highlighted an anticipated 15% shortage of water for Punjab and Sindh during the Rabi season. Despite this, the prevailing weather conditions were deemed supportive, and effective management strategies were in place to handle the manageable shortage.

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