Daily Times

President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday emphasized the need for adoption of advanced agriculture technologies and best practices that were crucial to enhancing agriculture production and developing Pakistan’s farming industry, besides improving agri-business in the country.

He expressed these views while chairing a meeting on technology in food security and agriculture at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. He said it was imperative to devise E-strategy on agriculture and introduce technological solutions for maximization of better crop.

According to a press release, the meeting was attended by Minister for IT & Telecom, Syed Amin ul Haq, Minister for National Food Security & Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister for Science & Technology (MoST) Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Secretary IT & Telecom Shoaib Siddiqui and Secretary Science & Technology, Capt. (retd.) Nasim Nawaz. Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam briefed the meeting about the advantages of best agriculture practices and the steps taken by his ministry for development of agriculture.

Minister for Science & Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain informed the meeting that the ministry would help to change the traditional agriculture practices. The minister for IT & Telecom apprised the participants that they would develop Apps to help the farmer by providing them agricultural information and solutions to their problems.

In order to develop cooperative strategy among ministries of IT & Telecom, MoST and National Food Security & Research, the meeting underlined the need for collaborative approach among these ministries to address the challenges being faced by the agriculture sector.

It was agreed to give a lead role to Ministry of Food to prepare a roadmap for modernization of agriculture.

The meeting also emphasized the need for preparing database of farmers and training of human resource, which were key factors to create a digital ecosystem and encourage the use of technology in food security and agriculture through digitalization.

The president also chaired a meeting on Technology in Education and Vocational Training. Highlighting the significance of technology, he said that digital literacy was essential for promoting education and vocational training.

He underscored the need for providing online skill education and training of human resource with the right skills through distant learning. Minister for Education & Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood, briefed the meeting about the steps taken by the ministry in providing online education during Covid-19 pandemic.

The president appreciated the measures taken by ministry of education for promoting distant learning in the country. Apart from ministers of Science & Technology and IT, the meeting was also attended by Rector National University of Technology, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Khalid Asghar and Chairman NAVTTC, Syed Javed Hassan.