Senator Sahar Kamran has stressed the need for modernising Pakistan’s agriculture through precision farming, climate-smart technologies and research-based policymaking to improve farm productivity and help farmers cope with climate-related challenges.

FAISALABAD, Sept 2: Senator Sahar Kamran has stressed the need for modernising Pakistan’s agriculture through precision farming, climate-smart technologies and research-based policymaking to improve farm productivity and help farmers cope with climate-related challenges. She expressed these views during her visit to the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), where she called on Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali and discussed issues concerning agricultural development, research and technology transfer. Senator Sahar Kamran, who is also a progressive farmer, appreciated UAF’s contribution to agricultural education, research and food security in the country. She said Pakistan’s agriculture was at a critical stage and traditional farming methods needed to be complemented with modern technologies to increase productivity and ensure efficient use of scarce resources. “Precision agriculture is a necessity to increase yields, conserve water and protect farmers from climate shocks,” she said. She emphasised stronger collaboration between universities, policymakers and the farming community to ensure that research carried out in laboratories translated into practical solutions for farmers. Senator Kamran said institutions such as UAF were playing a key role in introducing modern farming techniques and helping farmers adopt technologies suited to local conditions. Welcoming the senator, Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali briefed her about the university’s research activities and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture. He said the integration of modern farming practices with supportive policies was essential for transforming the country’s agricultural sector. The Vice Chancellor said UAF was focusing on the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient crop varieties as well as precision farming technologies suited to the country’s soil and climatic conditions. He stressed the importance of stronger linkages between research institutions, policymakers and farmers so that scientific innovations could be effectively transferred to the field. Prof Dr Zulfiqar said collaboration with policymakers and progressive farmers would help accelerate the adoption of new technologies and contribute to improving the livelihoods of the farming community.