Tando Jam, Sindh

Sindh government has decided to implement a policy requiring agriculture graduates to obtain licenses for the sale of agriculture chemicals, fertilizers, and seeds in the province.

In a bid to benefit farmers, plans are also underway to make the ‘Hari Card’ more effective and provide financial support to agricultural university graduates for entrepreneurship and investment in the sector.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a training program organized by Sindh Agricultural University, Tando Jam in collaboration with Agricultural Research Sindh and the Sindh government, Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Anti-Corruption, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, said that these licenses will be issued only to qualified agriculture graduates.

He also mentioned that these graduates will receive financial assistance for launching their own businesses and startups.

The minister highlighted that the training workshop was designed to empower women by teaching them tractor operation, maintenance, and modern farming techniques. He added that under this program, women can purchase tractors at subsidized rates for further enhancing their economic opportunities. He also stated that the Hari Card will be improved to ensure that farmers can fully benefit from it.

Secretary, Agriculture Department, Rafique Ahmed Buriro, informed that the women trained in tractor driving were also provided with learning driving licenses. He emphasized the crucial role of women in the agricultural sector and stated that daily operations are being carried out against those selling fake agricultural products. He also underscored the necessity of modernizing agriculture through technology to increase per-acre yield, adding that the Sindh government is taking significant steps regarding agricultural graduates.

Vice-Chancellor of Sindh Agricultural University, Dr. Fateh Marri also spoke. The event was attended by key officials including DG Agriculture Shahab Abro, DG Water Management Nadeem Shah, DG Agriculture Extension Munir Ahmed Jamali, Dr. Mazhar Keerio, Dr. Altaf Siyal, and Dr. Farman Chandio, representatives from the Sindh Abadgar Board, Syed Nadeem Shah, and officials from private tractor companies.

Meanwhile, minister also addressed the concluding ceremony of inter-faculty cricket championship, and expressed his desire to see 40 athletes emerging from Sindh. He announced the launch of the Sindh Olympics Program aimed at providing top-notch training to young athletes and introducing them to the Olympic Games. (PR)

Read: Precision agriculture, a modern farming technique

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Tando Jam

The agriculture and soil experts of Sindh Agriculture University expressing concern over the rapid decline of the soil productivity of the soil, have called for halting the use of shortcuts and poisoning the land, and feared that the earth’s productive capacity will last for only thirty-five years if such practices continued.

They expressed such views at a seminar on the occasion of World Soil Day titled “Soil: where food begins”, held at the Senate Hall of Sindh Agriculture University on Tuesday. The seminar was organized by the Department of Soil Science, in collaboration with Soil Science Society of Pakistan, Farm Advisory Center of FFC and Azeems Private Limited.

In his address, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University, Dr. Fateh Marri, said that agriculture is the only sector that can contribute more to the development of the country, but due to indifference to modern agriculture and lack of training to farmers, the land is chaotic and by using unnecessary fertilizers and pesticides, the productivity of the soil is gradually decreasing, so experts have to play a role to protect the soil by using organic fertilizers to maintain life of agriculture land.

He suggested that evaluation of fertilizer use and especially the quality of imported fertilizers should be made mandatory.

Dr. Inayatullah Rajpar, Dean of the Faculty of Crop Production and soil, said that soil degradation, lack of knowledge about use and importance of fertilizers among farmers is increasing soil-related problems.

Presenting her paper on soil, the chairperson of the Department of Soil Science, Prof. Dr. Mehrunisa Memon, said that 95% of food comes from the soil, but due to non-use of organic fertilizers, the productivity of the land is declining. “In the pursuit of obtaining more yield, we have put the land at risk,” she said and suggested that to restore the soil, we must promote the practice of organic fertilizers, and evaluate it on a scientific basis to meet the lack of minerals and nutrients required by the soil.

Shafique-u-Rahman, Head of FFC’s Farm Advisory Center, said that we are doing such a short-cut cycle of soil to get more production, which has reduced the productive life of the land to 30 to 35 years. During the last ten years the climate change and other issues and the gradual increase in population have led to a staggering increase in the number of people affected by hunger. “Two billion people are affected by food insecurity,” he added.

Dr. Hafizullah Babar, Director, Soil Fertility Institute of Sindh Agriculture Research Institute, said we treat the earth as a mother but we are killing it ourselves by poisoning it. “The lack of nutrients from the soil is an alarming situation for the whole country, so we have to save the earth through prioritizing biodiversity, as more responsibility is imposed on experts.”

Dr. Ghulam Murtaza Jamro, General Secretary of Soil Science Society of Pakistan and others also spoke on the occasion. Dean Dr. Manzoor Ali Abro, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Keerio, Dr. Syed Ziaul Hassan Shah, Dr. Shahnawaz Marri, Parvez Banbhan of SIDA, Sajid Vistro, Sohail Ahmed and others also attended the seminar.

Earlier an awareness rally was also organized from the soil science department to Admin Block, while awards were also distributed among the poster competition position holder students. (PR)

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