Agriculture Innovation: Experts Advocate for Sustainable Water Usage in Farming

News Desk

Hyderabad: Due to the growing population and the possible shortage of water, modern urban agricultural technology must be accessible to the common farmer, stated Sindh Agriculture University Vice Chancellor Dr Fateh Marri.

Dr Fateh further said that there has been no significant development in agricultural production for the past thirty years. The population would reach 9.2 billion by 2050, and until then, the food and its quality would not be safe, he added.

A consultation seminar titled ‘Food-Water Nexus: Connecting the Dots’ hosted by Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) in collaboration with the Research and Development Foundation (RDF) and Welthungerhilfe (WHH) was held at Senate Hall on Thursday.

Agriculture and water experts, as well as progressive farmers and social reformers, have emphasised the need to take initiatives for water conservation in the lower areas of Sindh.

They also emphasised the need to promote urban and vertical agriculture, and urged the use of drip irrigation for agriculture harvesting on 50 percent of the uncultivated agricultural land in the province.

In Sindh, 1300 litres of water are used for the production of one kg of wheat and 2500 litres for paddy. The farmers are reluctant to accept the drip irrigation system, yet water is being degraded by putting dirty and polluted drainage water into the river Indus, said Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Dean Dr Altaf Siyal.

Sindh Abadgar Board Leader Syed Nadeem Shah mentioned that vertical planting and food preservation are being practiced around the world, even in developed countries. In China, everyone is growing vegetables for their own needs in their homes.

Nadeem Shah expressed concern that the green lands are being converted into colonies.

Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) General Manager Transition Ghulam Mustafa Ujjan suggested that students should be involved in research on agricultural, economic and water policies, emphasising that the government, private institutions and farmers should jointly work on water.

Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Programme Manager Sarwan Baloch stated that the rural areas produce food items which are mostly used in urban areas. He suggested that food must be made in cities as well, and the technology of the value chain system must be transferred to the common farmer. Additional in put from APP