Hi readers, how are your agricultural concepts now? Hope much clarified and if not yet, then something is missing in my narrative. Please correct me through your valuable inputs and comments.
Why digitalization (DigiAg) of agriculture is important?
The focus of DigiAg is i. creating meaningful value from data collected through precision and smart agriculture for developing actionable intelligence and ii., integrating concepts of both farming systems and the resultant value-added data into digital farming. It is envisioned that the new weapon created this way, will not only maintain but will improve the quality and quantity of food that we are producing today in sustainable and less resources intensive manners. Beginning of the use of nitrate based mineral fertilizer 100 years ago was also envisioned as solution of such problems. Nevertheless, within few years, challenges like unsustainable production system, degradation of soil, environment, surface water resources, and food quality compounded with continuously increasing population proved it otherwise, which consequently, demanded a “course correction”. DigiAg was thus, foreseen as a solution to all these problem which is today’s reality.
DigiAg is robustly based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and vigorously being used in African countries for transforming business process by leveraging digital technologies to avail opportunities for increased revenue. This can be a game changer as it is supporting and accelerating agricultural transformation by addressing diverse factors and conditions that affects farms, farmers, and the agri-food sector.
John Deere (the brand name of Deere & Company) does this by advising farmers to maximize crop yield using either the data that he collects or digital technologies to transform reporting process of collecting and analyzing real time data and the insights to mitigate risk for promoting efficiency of future projects.
Real time data is the central pillar of DigiAg, while IoT provides opportunities to precisely capture it from individual farm and field thereby offering access to i., tailored made information (much like personalized medicine) and insights for the individuals to optimize their production, gain access to appropriate products and services, ii., linkages with the markets and enterprises for deeper understanding of their target segments and iii., allowing them to “better tailor their interventions” to cater the needs of small holder farmers.
This long proem clearly suggests that the purpose of digitalization is to augment data quality, collection, and structuring so that advanced technologies can be employed through “Process Digitalization” which means the use of digital technologies for managing data and processes to digitally convert both into simple, more efficient, productive, and profitable process that can ultimately result in opportunities for increasing efficiency and revenue.
DigiAg is needed for agricultural transformation in Pakistan at the most immediate basis. The statistics are pointing toward a dire need to double the production of the rice and wheat (to meet our national food security and export) and triple the production of cotton for our domestic need. We must achieve these targets while simultaneously adapting to climate change which is already impacting agriculture through droughts, floods, erratic rains, heat waves, and new pests and diseases. With so much at stake, it is imperative that we must prioritized our agricultural transformation as one of our national strategies.
Agriculture in Pakistan is revolving around 4 key players: big landlords, progressive farmers, small holder farmers, and resource poor farmers. While we need four different strategies, DigiAg is one of the approaches that at-least two former players can easily use (had they been adopted it earlier, the commodities prices would been +/- similar to what currently we are bearing but without much blame game) while the remaining two can learn by working with or on their farms.
There is a huge crowed of “digitally natives” in Pakistan who can be an enormous asset for digitalization of agriculture. Their Digital skills are quite sharp as they are already using digital devices, are familiar with communication applications, and networks to access and manage information. With little efforts, they can use digital technologies to create new or modify existing business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. These digitally natives if appropriately educated and trained can digitally convert simple process into more efficient, productive, and profitable. Also, these young people can find strategically important niches for certain commodities just through using specific software when they are available. Hope, Prime Minister’s National Task Force on Science and Technology would have achieved some success in this direction by now but, there are several questions that needs to be answered regarding this re-imagining of business in the digital era and what digital transformation is all about?
We know now that digitalization is all about technology, data, process, and organizational change. Do we have:
- Technology(s) for digitalization in Pakistan?
- Understanding of technology and its utilization?
- “Data” whether structured, unstructured, trivial, siloes or mundane? (I can say safely through my experience that we have all the types specially trivial and mundane data in huge amount: the generation of which is pathetic.
- Process to be used for digitalization?
- Can we persuade our agricultural research organizations to change for and adopt digitalization?
A difficult task that may take years because digital transformation is about bringing artificial intelligence into the organization. AI-enabled chatbots that can answer simple queries from the farmers so that they should not have to wait for extension workers to get help for their day-to-day problems.
As explained earlier, e- and m- agriculture is being practiced in Pakistan at scattered places (whether they really mean business or interested only in funding? is not known). It is also not well known how far they have been successful, but they can be helpful if Government takes initiative and develop Digital Transformation Strategy (GTS) and a plan of action describing how Agri-business must strategically reposition itself in the digital economy. It will take time for the farmers to change habits for adopting digitalization, but an initiative can be taken now through simple techniques like e- and m-agriculture. But for this to happen,
it is imperative to have a Digital leadership as strategically important asset who could channelize the talent of digital natives, understand, plan, and achieve DigiAg strategic objectives. Such a person should be able to deal both with the organizations as well as with the individuals
and should be aware of the business goals and know-how of his job and responsibilities and should be forward looking and must have the ability to remain relevant in a landscape that is constantly changing.
This re-imagining of business in the digital age is what is called digital transformation.
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s National Task Force on Science and Technology, on February 9th, 2020, said, “that Government of Pakistan would spend around PKR. 50 billion in areas such as artificial intelligence, IoT, big data, cybersecurity, and related technologies. He added that all government software contracts would only go to local companies to boost local business for which special technology zones would be established (How much of this has been materialized is not known)?
A year later (29th, January 2021), Government Special Committee on Agricultural Products gave a presentation to Prime Minister under the title “Integrated Structural Reforms for Sustainable Agriculture Growth” which indicated that some of PKR 50 billion would be spent on Digitalization of Agriculture: the fate of this venture is also obscure.
Better Cotton Initiative has recently been looking for “Digital agriculture manager for Lahore Pakistan” (closing date for application was April 17th, 2022) to lead the efforts to “Digitalize Better Cotton approach to the field data” (that was a bit surprising for me).
Is Better Cotton a Part of the above mentioned “Integrated structural reforms”?
Have they selected the “Manager” (it was on urgent basis)? Or
Will the dream of DigiAg ever come true in Pakistan?
It appeared that all that is said and done in Pakistan regard DigiAg is vague and incomprehensible (Pl. correct me if I am wrong)
Digitalization is the most important pillars of structural reforms for sustainable agriculture in Pakistan which prompted me to share my views on this subject with the hope that this would be of some help to the planners and executers as well and that instead of leveraging technology, indigenously developed AI based product would be used for DigiAg in Pakistan. For example, everybody is familiar with drones in Pakistan which if equipped with different sensors, at least farms belonging to big landlord and progressive farmers can be mapped for within farm variability in moisture and mineral/nutrient contents which can then be managed accordingly (a big help for resource poor farmers and small land holders).
That is all for now dear reader. Will see you next week with details on what can be achieved through digitalization of agriculture in Pakistan and where we can get help.
Till then, enjoy reading this and take good care of yourself
Bye
Good article. Digitalization of agriculture is definitely required.
Thank you Khalid Sahib for your positivity and support