Shaukat Korai

The Sindh Agriculture Department is offering laser levelling technology services to help minimize operational costs, increase productivity, and conserve water, but only a small number of farmers have adopted the technology.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, Assistant Engineer Shazim Aziz of the Agriculture Engineering Wing said the services were being offered to farmers at subsidized rates. The department rents out each unit for Rs6,000 per month, which is the lowest rate compared to private laser units. The department provides the laser unit, which the farmers attach to their tractors.

Shazim said private companies rent out each unit for Rs15,000 for each acre, which means the Sindh Agriculture Department provides more than 50% subsidy to farmers compared to the private companies. He noted that over the past two years, approximately 250,000 acres of land had been laser-levelled in lower Sindh. During the 2022-23 period, the department purchased 96 Laser units for rental, and currently, all of them are available for farmers.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, Mehmood Nawaz Shah, an agriculturist from the lower part of Sindh, said he was using the levelling technology for his arable land. Application of laser tech is particularly important in this region, as it faces more severe water shortages compared to the upper and middle parts of Sindh.

The technology has not only increased the yield, but also helped combat water shortages, and improve earnings compared to his previous agricultural practices. Shah, who is also the President of Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), said the laser levelling tech is beneficial for achieving higher crop production and reducing expenses, particularly in combating water shortages.

Farmers traditionally level their fields using animal-drawn scrapers and tractor blades, which have proven to be costly and ineffective in achieving the desired results. However, evidence shows that the laser technology is beneficial for minimizing the operational costs, increasing productivity, and conserving water, he said.

A research report published by European Academic Research, conducted by a team of agriculturists from various agricultural institutions, including the Department of Agricultural Economics at Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, and the Directorate General of Agriculture Extension, Sukkur, examined the effects of laser levelling technology in Mirpur Khas district.

The report indicated that the use of laser tech saved water and increased the germination ratio, resulting in higher yields and greater cropping intensity in the district. The report specifically highlights that laser-levelled fields yield 14.7% more wheat than fields using traditional means of irrigation. The farmers using the laser tech save 14.2% water.

The report recommends promoting water conservation technologies, particularly laser land levelling, to address the ongoing water shortages that hinder the well-being and development of Sindh’s agriculture sector. Although laser levelling technology has been in use for over two decades, it is still utilized by only a small number of agriculturalists, Shah said.

The SAB president told Wealth Pakistan that Sindh must use modern technology, including laser levelling, to address the challenges faced by farmers and landlords. He emphasized the need for the government to implement and introduce strategies to combat future water shortages and improve both the quantity and quality of agricultural production.

High-efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS) like sprinklers, drip, and rain guns should be utilized widely in Sindh for better results, he added. Additionally, he suggested the need to raise awareness among farmers about the use of these technologies. He believes the government is capable of introducing the latest technology and other innovative techniques due to the abundance of resources.

Credit: INP-WealthPk