Agriculture Perspective: An imaginative insight

Agriculture has always played a vital role in socio-economic development of the society/people. It is the primary source of employment, livelihood, and food security for the majority of population. The Pakistan population is to reach 220 million by 2020. Therefore, we must have the potential and the ability to meet growing demands for food, for ever-increasing human population, for which the planning in the past had been erratic and uncertain. The issues and challenges in this regard are to be overcome in a manner, so that, everyone can be adequately and nutritiously fed, without over-exploiting and over consuming the natural resources thereby affecting the earth’s ecosystem. The greatest challenge lying ahead for all of us is to increase food production while maintaining the ecosystem stability, and rehabilitating the environment.

Pakistan’s economy has undergone considerable diversification over the years, yet the agriculture is still the largest sector. According to Economic Survey Report 2004-05 agriculture accounts for nearly 25 percent of Pakistan’s national income (GDP) and employs 47 percent of its workforce. Agriculture also supplies raw material to Pakistan’s Industries, notably textile industry, the largest industrial sub-sector of the economy. Most importantly, 67.5 percent of country’s population living in rural areas are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Given its importance to national economy, the Government attaches high priority to raising agricultural productivity with a view to promoting faster agricultural growth and hence, raising farmers income. Pakistan witnessed unprecedented drought during the first two years of the decade of 2000 (2000-01 and 2001-02) which resulted in contraction of agricultural value added. In other words, agriculture registered negative growth in these two years. The next two years (2002-03 and 2003-04) witnessed a modest recovery in agricultural growth at the back of improvement in the availability of water for irrigation purpose. A stranger – than – expected performance of agriculture has been one of the hallmarks of the fiscal year (FY) 2004-05 with growth reaching as high as 7.5 percent on account of unprecedented increase in cotton production (14.6 million bales) and a near bumper wheat crop (of the size of 21.1 million tons). Major crops, accounting for 37.1 percent of agricultural value added registered stellar growth of 17.3 percent as against 1.8 percent last year. Minor crops, contributing 12.2 percent to overall agriculture grew by 3.1 percent as against 2.6 percent last year. The performance of livestock – the single largest contributor to overall agriculture (46.8%); fisheries and forest – the two minor contributors, have been lackluster at best as they grew by 2.3 percent, 2.1 percent and 0.4 percent respectively.

This is more so necessary in the light of uncertain Agricultural Scenario of past 58 years on which we have only witnessed stagnation instead of expansion and environmental degradation instead of upgradation. This has further been aggravated due to inadequate resource allocation to the sector commensurating with its contribution in G.D.P., which has further jeoperdised R&D efforts in the sector to keep pace with time and the needs which happen to be dynamic in nature.

The agriculture of Pakistan in general and Sindh in particular is exposed to a number of problems ranging from  national at grassroots to international levels, from poor yields to marketability of commodities, water shortages to conservation,  from grading to set world quality norms, and from indiscriminate use of pesticides to biological control. The yield of major crops like cereal production has decreased due to variety of reasons. The most significant appear to be ecological changes and timely availability of the inputs including water, unhealthy and non-resistant germplasm etc. The World Trade Organization (WTO) regime has become another most critical challenge for Pakistan and other developing countries. Its implications on agriculture, undoubtedly, surpass all other threats confronted by other sectors of economy.

For food security of exploding population of Pakistan, it is direly needed to formulate new long term policies horizontally and vertically and embark upon the new projects in agriculture to cater to the needs of the rising population in the next 25-50 years. It has to increase cereal production by at least 40% over the next 25 years to meet needs for food, livestock feed, and fiber crops. Similarly, production of all other major food products shall have to be increased to keep pace with population growth and subsequent demand. The challenges to be faced with the also include per capita agricultural land which continues to shrink along with depletion of the increased resources, coupled with, increased problems of salinity and deforestation. Above all, the water scarcity will become more acute over the years due to global warming and loss of glaciers. Some of the current problems encountered in the agriculture productivity are non-availability of high yielding and disease, insect and pest free elite stock for seedling/seed.

Pakistan is facing a severe drought of its history for the last few years. Over 5 million people are facing famine-like situation in many districts of Balochistan, Thar, Dadu, and Thatta. The provinces are seriously confronting on the distribution water. Some experts emphasize for efficient utilization of surface water. Reallocation of water allowance may be reviewed at canal command level, keeping in view the cropping pattern, cropping intensity and other related factors. This resource must be supplemented by fully exploiting groundwater and rain harvesting and exploitation of avenues of new water (if feasible) wherever possible. The agriculture sector should focus on the production of crops that require less water and those that have a high export value.

Due to intensive cultivation and over exploitation, there has been a continuous decline in per cpita availability of land resources in the country. As a result of unabated population growth in the country coupled with dwindling water resources, it is projected now, that almost all future increases in food production need to be attained  vertically, i.e. as a result of increase in yield (output per unit land area/animal per unit time) and from growing additional crops during a given year on the same land. There are really, no other viable options. This underscores the need and the importance of science and new technologies, for meeting future national and global food needs. Environment issues will become more challenging as more land, water, fertilizers and pesticides are diverted for food production to attain higher productivity. New technologies will accentuate for the use of more, not less, inputs and chemicals (fertilizer, pesticides) to increase food production. This is going to happen as population continues to increase and demands continue to inflate.

Degradation of environment, arising from agricultural production, is present, in many forms. Agricultural production is chief user of our land and water resources. Debates will continue on issues of food safety, deleterious effects on fish and wildlife, endangered species and carcinogenicity arising out of agriculture inputs leading to environmental degradation and pollution. It has not yet been clarified by anyone, as to what an extent, should the environmentally sustainable set of agricultural production technologies be? The economics as well as the technology of development are changing so rapidly that older assumptions are of no consequence and valid any more.

The concept of sustainability of production systems is increasingly becoming a requirement for maintaining the basis of human life. The sustainable management of natural resources both in industry and in agriculture involves a strategy which, while taking into account the interests of the present, preserves the preconditions for future generations to have all the necessary conditions available to them for satisfying their needs. The key concept consists in fostering the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. Applying this principle contributes to long-term economic growth under conditions which are acceptable for production which is environmentally sound and economically beneficial for the maintenance and management of resource base.

The system of sustainable management plays a crucial role in agriculture, since numerous complex factors form the basis of production in this field. The key elements of sustainability in agriculture are: 

• Policy and management: policy dimensions including economical, cultural and social  issues, research and development as well as population control

• Energy and inputs: energy resources, fertilizers, plant protection, ecological farming, techniques and technology

• Genetic resources: identification, evaluation, and  utilization of genetic resources

• Climate: global warming, climate change and its impact on agricultural production

• Soil and water: availability of arable land, degradation and deforestation, and debilitating seasonal water shortages

As a matter of fact, many societal global problems have emerged, relating to agricultural sustainability and food security. These include poverty, malnutrition, inflation, unemployment, soil erosion, deforestation, desertification, firewood shortages, and toxic chemicals in our environment, changing climate impacts, and agricultural production stability. These problems strongly suggest that developing world and us, to reassess our needs and seek technologies that will result in stable production at higher levels. We must address ourselves seriously to their accomplishment in a sustainable manner. Sustainable agriculture is based on the sustainable use of natural heritage including land, water and agricultural biodiversity, (plants and animals). Sustainable use of these resources, in turn, requires that their ownership and control lie with decentralized agricultural communities in order to generate livelihoods, provide food and harness conservation strategies. These three elements i.e. ecological stability, livelihood opportunity and food security must be the essential ingredients of our agriculture policies, and programs as they are both equitable and sustainable.

The Sindh Agriculture University therefore, has an obligation to provide leadership for the changes which have been outlined above through its research, teaching and extension programs. The faculty and the staff of the University with their indomitable will and commitment have the potential to come to the national and global aspirations. It is expected from the students of Agriculture Sciences that they must not only be knowledgeable about their profession but develop critical thinking skills in a broad ecological, social, and economic perspective. The students of tomorrow must also be able to understand the interrelationship of their activity to an interdependent environmental world shared by food producers and consumers alike.

The Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam is identified amongst the most reputable institutions in the country at the moment and with continuous and sincere efforts of the management and leadership that we have, we hope to emerge as the leadership institution of the future. In this regard the strategic vision document developed for the university highlights following focused areas of research and activity and establishment of infrastructure to accomplish the challenges lying ahead.

Focused areas of research

Seed Production Technology and their promotion and propagation including oilseeds and development of Hybrid seeds, Arid and Bio-saline Agriculture, Conservation of Crop and Livestock Germplasm, Agriculture Production Potential in Coastal Areas, Integrated Pest Management, Prevention of deforestation and desertification and exploitation of rangelands, Aquaculture and Integrated Farming System, Poultry/Livestock Farming and least cost formulation of rations, Hydroponics/Tunnel farming, Utilization of Agro-Industrial by-products, Exploitation of Non-conventional feeds for livestock production, Crop and Animal Health System, Embryo transfer technology, Rural Development / Poverty Alleviation through increasing capacity building/increased household income of farmers, Conservation and efficient utilization of water resources, Exploitation of renewable energy resources, Infrastructure development (Housing and Shelter Engineering), Agro-chemical testing and evaluation facility, Tissue culture facilities, Post-harvest technologies and its transfer to stakeholders, Development of Fruit and Vegetable Processing  Technology, Soil Conservation, Rehabilitation and Environmental Studies, Agriculture Advisory Services Cell, Student Counseling and Placement Services, Quality Assurance & Learning Innovations and  Evaluation Facilities, WTO Implementation and Agriculture Trade and Services facilities, Bio Informatics and Management Sciences

Development of Infrastructure and Transformation in the existing milieu in the University

Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and seed production Centre, Institute of Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Development of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Centre, Institute of Plant Diseases and Control, Institute of Integrated Pest Management, Agro-Chemical Testing and Evaluation Facility, Bio-Saline Agriculture and Livestock Research Center, (Thar & Kohistan), Integrated Aquaculture  Farming Centre, Establishment of Department of Veterinary Continuum Education, Centre for Soil Conservation and Environmental Sciences, Embryo Transfer Centre, Water Resources Management Institute, Institute of Bio-informatics and Management Sciences (IBMS), Centre for Sustainable Development Studies, WTO Implementation and Agriculture Trade and Services Cell, Quality Assurance & Learning Innovations and Evaluation Facilities   at Sindh  Agriculture  University, Tandojam, Farmers Advisory Services and Agricultural   Technology Transfer Facility, English Language Development Center, Student Counseling and Placement Centre, Farmer’s Radio Station and dissemination of Agriculture and Weather related information

Recapitulation and the policy changes envisaged

          Looking to the issues and problems as elaborated earlier, as also the needed thrust on making agricultural education socially relevant, demand driven and job-oriented, enabling the graduates not only to seek public and private sector jobs but also to divert them towards their own self-employment in different agricultural and allied vocations. Agricultural education plans of this university as a part of Human Resources Development Programme lay emphasis on: 

• Promotion of excellence in frontier areas of science like bio-technology, information technology, educational technology etc.

• Development of schools of thought and centeres of excellence

• Job-oriented education with enough practical experience

• Establishing an effective agricultural research information system (ARIS)

• Updating the library facilities as well as modernizing the laboratories

• Computer networking at integrated level for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching

• Promoting inter-provincial mobility of students and arresting the tendency of inbreeding

• Revising the curriculum in the wake of national and global changes and to make it demand driven and market oriented

Future Planning

It has been anticipated that the ‘World’ will be a different place in the year 2020. Many of the trends which have begun to emerge will continue to be evident, but other changes may be more difficult to project. Demands on the use of natural resource base will almost surely increase in ways we cannot even imagine today. In a finite, interdependent, and rapidly changing world, the maintenance of strong food, fiber, and forest production systems and the protection and wise use of our natural resources have become an imperative. Our national agriculture is now integrated with world markets. The interdependency of agricultural production practices with conservation of land and water systems has now linked farmers with environmentalists. Food safety concerns and ground water contamination are changing contemporary thinking about food and fiber production with the balance of nature and sustainable rationale. Genetic engineering, biotechnology, alternative agricultural practices, and sustainable rural development are simultaneously linked with global climate change, acid rain, ground water contamination and extinction of species.

The breakthrough innovations in digital revolution are the main challenges for higher education institutions in Pakistan. The rise of internationalization, globalization of trade and economies, knowledge and culture and the concept of life long learning give a distinctive character to higher education at national and international level. Internationalization has put university education in the forefront of the world educational map. Thus our universities and institutions will be required to revamp their programs to meet the international standards and produce market-oriented graduates equipped with knowledge to face rapidly changing and challenging environment. The University’s challenge is to develop academic programs with high impact and focus on the quality research to address the national issues by exploiting the potential of our future land banks to ensure food security and to alleviate poverty in the country.

Looking into the above scenario, the main goal of Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam will be to overcome the problems through creating conducive academic and research environment at Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam to produce well equipped manpower in agriculture and allied sciences and to meet the international standards of education and research aimed at to bring a quantum jump in yields and production and to alleviate poverty particularly in rural Pakistan.

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