China wants to promote digital farming in Pakistan

China has expressed the desire to share its experience in agri-tech with Pakistan and help the nation integrate technology in its agricultural landscape to bring about a “green revolution”. 

As reported by The Nation, leading experts in China believe that the way forward is the integration of information technology and agriculture to bring about what is being referred to as the third green revolution.  

“The integration of information technology and agriculture will bring about the third green revolution: agricultural digital revolution,” said Zhao Chunjiang from China’s National Engineering Research Centre for Information Technology in Agriculture. “By 2025, China’s digital agro economy will exceed a USD 100 billion.” 

For countries like China and Pakistan, the triple threat of climate change, COVID-19, and a massively growing population means that there is a strong need for smarter agricultural work to continue to thrive and flourish in the modern age. 

A great example of technological induction in farming to make traditional processes more effective is the use of drones. 

“Spraying at a speed of 4.5 meters a second, each drone can complete what was used to be done by 25-30 workers per day, saving 80 percent water, 30 percent cost of plant protection, and 20 to 25 percent pesticides,” explained the staff members of a leading agri-tech company to the China Economic Net (CEN). “They can be used in rice, wheat, and maize. Take rice as an example, about USD 60 can be saved for each hectare.” 

Furthermore, the company staff was open to the idea of introducing such technology in Pakistan under the umbrella of CPEC. 

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Pakistan will be benefiting from the technological advancements of China. Under CPEC, Pakistan has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s Wuhan Landing Medical High-tech Co, Ltd to introduce its artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnostic technology for screening cervical cancer in Pakistan, a disease that can affect millions of women in Pakistan.