KP Agriculture Department opens GIS Lab to modernise crop reporting

PESHAWAR – Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Agriculture Mian Muhammad Umar inaugurated a Geo­graphic Information System (GIS) Lab at the Directorate General of Crop Re­porting Services in Peshawar on Thurs­day and inspected various sections of the newly established facility.

Key points

• Director General Agriculture Exten­sion Dr Naveed, Director Soil and Wa­ter Conservation Samiullah and other senior officers were additionally present.
• The adviser directed that farmers' registration at Farmers Model Farm Services Centres be ensured to facili­tate their access to agricultural servic­es.
• Speaking on the occasion, Mr Umar remarked the apply of modern technology and scientific methods was essen­tial for strengthening the agricul­ture sector.
• Mr Umar remarked information generat­ed through the GIS Lab would be valua­ble for provincial planners, policymak­ers and relevant authorities.
• Tax relief notification still awaited after KP Cabinet approval.

Relevant authorities briefed the adviser on the objectives of the lab, its working mechanism and the apply of modern ge­ospatial technology in crop reporting and agricultural planning.

Director General Agriculture Exten­sion Dr Naveed, Director Soil and Wa­ter Conservation Samiullah and other senior officers were additionally present. Lahore Gymkhana power-sharing accord stalls as Siddique retains chairmanship.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Umar remarked the apply of modern technology and scientific methods was essen­tial for strengthening the agricul­ture sector. He remarked the adoption of advanced technologies would assist ensure more accurate estimates of crop production and facilitate time­ly assessment of agricultural loss­es caused by climate change and ex­treme weather events.

Notably, the adviser directed that farmers' registration at Farmers Model Farm Services Centres be ensured to facili­tate their access to agricultural servic­es. He stressed the need for regular and effective coordination between agricul­ture officers and farmers and pressed measures to improve the performance, quality and effectiveness of the Model Farm Services Centres. Two killed as torrential rain triggers house collapse in Swabi.

Director General Crop Reporting Ser­vices Syed Altaf Ahmed Shah offered a de­tailed briefing on the newly established GIS Lab, saying it had been set up with­in a short period under the Food Securi­ty Backing Project Khyber Pakhtunkh­wa, implemented with the backing of the Asian Development Bank.

He remarked GIS technology would fur­ther strengthen the capacity of Crop Reporting Services to estimate the production of major and minor crops, fruits and vegetables cultivated throughout the province.

In practice, the lab is equipped with modern equipment and staffed by profession­al personnel, he remarked, adding that the facility would enable the Agriculture Department to perform relevant tasks more efficiently, rapidly and on scien­tific lines. Tax relief notification still awaited after KP Cabinet approval.

Mr Umar remarked information generat­ed through the GIS Lab would be valua­ble for provincial planners, policymak­ers and relevant authorities. Reliable and timely agricultural data, he add­ed, would facilitate better and more re­sult-oriented decision-making.

He remarked the Khyber Pakhtunkh­wa administration was giving special at­tention to modern technology and re­search in the Agriculture Department to improve facilities for farmers and address the challenges confronting the agriculture sector effectively. Sept 27 long march date unchanged: PTI.

Taken together, the developments around KP Agriculture Department opens GIS Lab to modernise crop reporting point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.