Climate-smart farming – a solution to increasing temperature
In the context of climate change, feeding a growing population will remain a constant challenge for the world in the foreseeable future.
The changing climatic patterns will exert an adverse impact on the productive resources, shorten the agriculture growing periods, increase the risk of pests and diseases, in extreme circumstances, result in floods, droughts and heat waves and ultimately reduce agricultural productivity.
According to a research conducted by Germanwatch, Pakistan is predicted to be one of the countries to be affected the most by the rapidly rising temperatures.
To make matters worse, Pakistan, with the world’s sixth-largest population at present, is projected to add nearly 100 million people to its population by 2050, according to the UN World Population Prospects 2019.
“With an ever-increasing population, scarce resources and a changing climate, farmers face unrivalled risk and uncertainty,” said Bayer Regional Head for Asia Pacific Jens Hartmann while talking to source.
“Agriculture must become highly efficient and sustainable if it has to provide ample food for the growing world population,” he added.
Hartmann held the belief that new solutions were needed to help the farmers face the growing challenges. He listed digital innovation and data science as the areas that had the potential to change agriculture for good.
“These modern tools help farmers collect farm-related data, observe and respond to inter and intra-field variability and minimise wastage of resources, thus enhancing productivity and efficiency,” he said.
“Drones, in particular, can be a game changer in this sector,” Hartmann stressed. “Equipped with sensors having advanced data analytic capabilities, drones can accurately manage variations in crop fields, optimally plant seeds and apply crop protection while minimising the exposure to risks for farmers,” he said.
“Use of agricultural drones is growing rapidly due to their increasing applications such as aerial mapping, plant health monitoring, soil analysis and weed detection.”
Giving the example of China, he said the number of agricultural drones used in the country had more than doubled within a year.
Hartmann added that public and private-sector institutions in Pakistan were also working on developing technologies and innovations that could contribute to a climate-smart agriculture.
The use of technologies such as laser land levelling, solar-powered high-efficiency irrigation systems and smart water grids is on the rise.
“In limited cases, even unmanned drones are being used to monitor crops,” he said. “The rising shortage of labour is one of the major factors driving the growth of drones.”
According to the World Bank, the share of total employment in agriculture has dropped from 43.25percent in 1991 to 26percent in 2018.
The increasing urbanisation taking place in Pakistan was creating labour shortage in the farming industry, Hartmann pointed out. He called for embracing digital tools and drone technology, which could significantly help the farmers improve crop yield while utilising fewer resources.
“We, as a company, are playing our part for the adoption of this technology by fostering global partnerships with manufacturers and service providers while also conducting trials for crop protection product formulations and developing digital tools that complement the drone technology,” he added.
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Fertiliser demand-supply condition reviewed
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired a meeting on Friday to review the demand and supply situation of fertiliser in the country.
The meeting was informed that sufficient stocks of urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) were available and there was no shortage of commodities in the market.
It was noted that fake news was being spread regarding the likelihood of increase in urea prices. It was observed that there was no reason for any hike in prices and the speculation was being made by vested interests.
The minister stated that the government was planning to take measures to further reduce fertiliser prices in the days to come.
Umar gave directives that all the relevant departments should keep a close watch on the demand and supply situation and the prices of products to prevent price manipulation.
It was reported earlier that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) was seeking a nearly 214percent hike in gas prices. In this regard, the regulator has sent a summary to the federal government which, if approved, will come into effect from January 2020.
According to a fertiliser industry official, if the recommendation is approved, it will increase the burden on all industrial sectors and consumers of the country. The proposed hike in gas prices may even trigger an increase in urea prices.
If the prime minister approves the proposal, it will push up urea prices by Rs600-700 per bag, according to market sources.
“With demand for phosphorous-based fertilisers largely catered to by the local players, any increase in gas prices will cause a surge in prices of DAP and other fertilisers as well,” said the industry official.
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Pakistan 1st country to settle Soviet-era trade row
Pakistan has become the first country to settle the Soviet-era trade dispute with Russia – then USSR, announced Federal Commerce Secretary Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera.
Speaking at a meeting with members of the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA), the secretary said a mere $93 million, owed by Pakistan to Russia, was hindering smooth relations between the two countries.
“Earlier, we wondered why the Russians were adamant on receiving such a meagre amount,” said the secretary. “Later, we found that it was a matter of their pride rather than the monetary value and Pakistan became the first country to clear its debt owed to Moscow.”
In the 1980s, the USSR and its companies had been engaged in barter trade with Pakistan. When the confederation fell apart following the Afghan war, the trade settlement was deferred not only with Pakistan but also with many other countries.
Talking about the free trade agreement (FTA) with China, Sukhera termed it a huge opportunity and urged exporters to reap maximum benefit from it.
“The FTA contains well-safeguarded measures for the Pakistani market while China has allowed us duty-free export of 313 product lines, which can benefit our exporters and earn foreign exchange for the country,” he said. “We can also form joint ventures with the Chinese enterprises.”
Turning to the Look Africa Policy Initiative, the commerce secretary said Pakistan would organise a Look Africa exhibition in Nairobi in January 2020 to pave the way for interaction between Pakistani and African businessmen and open new doors of opportunities.
Commenting on the challenges faced by the exporters, the secretary said Pakistan was one of the countries having the highest port tariffs, adding that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) considered the industry a revenue-generating tool.
“In recent years, Pakistan has imposed tariffs worth Rs660 billion, which has led to a decrease in exports,” he said. Different countries reduced their imports from Pakistan when their exports to Pakistan decreased in the wake of hefty tariffs.
Talking about Bangladesh, Sukhera revealed that it allowed two kinds of vehicles – ambulances and those carrying export containers – to pass any gate without security checks for the sake of faster movement.
He stressed that Pakistan needed to learn from the countries doing better than it.
He, however, expressed dismay that Pakistan’s agricultural production was way below India’s produce despite the fact that the two countries had a similar soil quality for farming.
Speaking in the meeting, prominent businessman Zubair Motiwala said the government lacked the right mindset to transform the economy into an export-oriented one.
“It tries to control exporters with the same stick it uses against the businessmen operating domestically,” he remarked.
Motiwala pointed out that the previous commerce minister had promised to freeze gas prices for three years but now the gas would become costlier for the industry as well.
“In addition to this, out of the Rs93 billion refund claims of the exporters, we have received only Rs18 billion,” he said.
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Government set to approve panel for vp post in eco bank
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is set to approve a panel for the post of vice president of an international organisation in a clear violation of rules, which may dent its claim of ensuring transparency and merit in filling lucrative positions.
The government has planned to conduct interviews for the post of vice president of the Economic Cooperation Organisation Trade and Development Bank (ETDB) next week, according to sources in the Ministry of Finance. ETDB is based in Istanbul, Turkey, and acts as the regional financial institution of the ECO.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh will chair the selection committee that will conduct the interviews. Other members of the committee include advisers to the PM on austerity and commerce, Finance Division secretary and Establishment Division secretary.
Sources told that the government did not follow the laid-down criteria for the short-listing of candidates for the lucrative post, which offers salary in US dollars besides perks and privileges.
The candidates were required to appear in written tests before their selection for the interviews, according to an office memorandum of the Establishment Division.
The memorandum titled “Civil Servants (Service in International Organisations) Rules 2016” was prepared by the former secretary to the prime minister, Fawad Hasan Fawad, after a few blue-eyed officers close to the then government tried to secure lucrative foreign postings by misusing their positions.
The administrative responsibility to fill the VP post rests with the external financing wing of the Ministry of Finance. Current Additional Finance Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal was then posted in the PM Office and worked in Fawad’s team.
The 2016 rules are applicable to the civil servants seeking employment on the reserved and specific posts and open posts and deputation in any international organisation.
Rule 4(c) says “there shall be a precondition of passing a written qualifying test, but the test shall be organised by the concerned ministry through a well-reputed testing agency and institution hired through open competitive process.”
In order to ensure merit, the rules define scores to be obtained at every stage of selection that are also aimed at ending discretion of the interview board. However, sources said the Ministry of Finance has tried to manipulate the process by declaring that ETDB is among the sensitive and strategic nature international organisations that are exempted from the tests. It was also not clear whether the ministry sought waiver from Prime Minister Imran Khan to waive the condition of conducting written tests.