Shaheer Ahmed
The 21st century has unveiled a stream of new trends. People are more equipped and informed than they were before. It will not be wrong to call this era ‘the era of digitization.’ Just like pen ki nip se lay kar dil ki chip tak sab digital hai. This trend of globalization is now setting roots in farming too. Hence, as we know it is the digitization of agriculture in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s agricultural sector plays a huge role in the country’s economy. It accounts for almost 20 percent of the GDP and approximately 40 percent of the workforce. Pakistan takes the place among the world’s largest producers of oranges, wheat, sugarcane, dates, rice, cotton, and mango. Yet, we lag in technology when it comes to the agriculture sector. The most advanced machine we had was a tractor. Moreover, the sector heavily relies on human labor making it time-consuming and tiresome.
Aamer Hayat Bhandara- The man behind agricultural digitization
Like many other sectors, Pakistan’s agriculture sector is also undergoing revolutionization. This is much owed to Aamer Hayat Bhandara. He is a local councilor and a farmer of Chak 26, a village in Punjab. Mr. Bhandara is bringing some tech-savvy innovations into the sector. He sure is making a huge difference. He is the founder of the ‘digital dera app’, which helps farmers in making decisions that are in their best interest. It updates farmers with the latest farming tips and ongoing market prices.
Tazah- making farmers’ lives easier
To make farmers’ lives easier, a start-up called Tazah is making new waves in agriculture. Now farmers don’t have to wake up at dawn and travel several miles to buy fruits and vegetables. Farming products are now just one click away. They place orders on the app and Tazah delivers the products to their doorsteps. Though, most of the orders are still placed by phone because of some technical issues with the app. Still, farmers are on their way to going fully digital.
The new startups in Pakistan are attracting more and more foreign investments. Also, many investors are looking for markets to invest in that would make huge profits. The digitization of the agriculture sector would be the best way to catch their attention.
Pakistan is trying to pick up the pace of the modern world. Technological advancement is the best way to keep up with world trends. It will lead Pakistan to the path of prosperity. Michelle Obama’s quote is enough to motivate people like Aamer Hayat Bhandara to strive to make Pakistan better in every way possible.
“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”
