China’s digital farming and smart agriculture practices are going to be a shot in the arm of Pakistan’s agriculture growth with inspiration from Chinese agro-based innovative technologies and techniques. A group of young Pakistani agri-tech entrepreneurs has pioneered a project “Digital Dera” in district Pakpattan, around 148 kilometers away from Lahore.

A tech-savvy project “Digital Dera” aims to empower farmers with cutting-edge agriculture solutions and assist them in the creation of smart communities. Talking to Gwadar Pro, founder of “Digital Dera” and co-founder of a Think Tank ‘Agriculture Republic’, Aamer Hayat Bhandara emphasized that data, information, advisory, and technology are pre-requisites for maximizing agricultural growth.

He believed that despite the ideal weather and fertile land, Pakistan is unable to achieve the standard yield due to the lack of modern agricultural techniques. He also urged the usage of sensors to assist farmers in making accurate decisions for their crops. He was of the view that because China is leading the world in technological innovation, therefore, he proposed that Chinese agro-based companies aligned with modern agriculture vision may digitally equip Pakistani farmers by transferring technology of agriculture drones, geo-tagging, data collection through satellite imagery, electric tractors, and human resource development.

Talking about the impact and prospects of “Digital Dera”, he said that this model can easily be replicated anywhere in the country. He also looked forward to collaborating with China on capacity building and the transfer of digital technology in agriculture.

It is an encouraging development that footprints of China’s digital farming in Pakistan are getting visible. Farmland Digital Integrated Management System, which Shandong ARK IT Business implemented in east China’s Shandong Province, is now working on digital agriculture development in Pakistan. While supplying high-quality drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation equipment, the company also uses artificial intelligence technologies to help Pakistan’s small farmers and large-scale plantations save money and boost efficiency.

The Farmland Digital Integrated Management System’s machine vision and intelligence are primarily used for monitoring plant diseases and insect pests. To achieve agricultural production prediction, pest control, and other challenges, the system uses artificial intelligence technologies such as computer vision, picture recognition, and deep learning. Pakistani farmers can directly replicate the advanced Chinese agricultural technology in order to accomplish higher crop yields to ensure food security in the country. It should be noted that Pakistani food imports have risen by 54 percent during the last fiscal year. In Pakistan, various factors have contributed to increased food imports, and one of them is low crop yield. According to a study conducted by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in 2020,

(The Daily CPEC) Construction on CPEC’s Karot Hydropower Station has achieved 95% construction. After 6 years of construction, the project was finally able to close its diversion gates and has started storing water. The power plant is located on the Jhelum River in Punjab. With an installed capacity of 7,200 megawatts, it can generate over three billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy each year. China Three Gorges Corporation, a Chinese enterprise, has made an investment in the project worth $1.7 billion.

The first hydropower project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Karot Hydropower Station, has achieved another milestone as 95 percent working on it has been completed. CPEC is a 3,000-kilometer-long route of infrastructure projects connecting northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

On Saturday, the project closed the gates of its diversion tunnels after six years of construction and officially started impounding water in its reservoir for future use. Chinese engineers recalled challenges they faced during the construction of the hydropower plant.

“We spent two years working out solutions to cope with the sandstone and mudstone underground, which interrupted our grouting work. We made it after repeated trial and error. The cement used for the construction was produced locally, so we tried very hard to control temperature rise and reduce cracks in the concrete,” Zuo Yaxi, head of the Engineering Department of China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd. (CSAIL), told CGTN in an interview.

The power plant is located on the Jhelum River in Punjab. With an installed capacity of 7,200 megawatts, it can generate over three billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy each year. Besides creating jobs for people in Pakistan, it would provide electricity at a lower price. China Three Gorges Corporation, a Chinese enterprise, has made an investment in the project worth $1.7 billion.

Once completed, the hydropower project is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Pakistan by 3.5 million tonnes per year, Chinese media reported.

CPEC is benefiting Pakistan from Gilgit Say Gwadar, Karachi Say Peshawar. Means it is covering up each and every region and turning them into the paths of progress. Mainly CPEC is working out to build up the infrastructure. Besides this CPEC is also working in different domains like Technical Training, Skill Development, and many others.

(The Daily CPEC): While welcoming multiple initiatives of the Technical Vocational Education and Training Sector Support Program (TVET SSP) and international donors for producing skilled manpower in the region, Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi on Monday said that the region could grab substantial benefits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects by providing a skilled workforce that could bring economic and social development of the local people.

He expressed these remarks while addressing a donors’ conference organized by the Directorate of Technical Education and Skills Development (DTESD), GB, in collaboration with the TVET Sector Support Program (TVET SSP) in Skardu.

The purpose of the event was to ensure sustainability as well as promotion of the TVET program in the region through the enhanced collaboration of donors, according to a statement received here.

Education Minister GB Raja Azam Khan, Secretary Education Iqbal Hussain Khan, Head of Cooperation of EU Delegation in Pakistan Ovidiu Mic, Head of TVET SSP Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, and Director TESD Faizullah Lone along with representatives from donors’ organizations attended the conference.

The GB Speaker mentioned that in the CPEC scenario, the region was witnessing a number of mega economic interventions especially the construction of dams and roads network, unexplored mineral resources, tourism, trade, renewable energy, and emerging IT sector which was a huge job market and “We can get major benefits of this market by producing a skilled force.”

“To cater to this situation, it requires an effective TVET system that can adapt and produce the required trained workforce in GB, so that upcoming positions can be filled by a Pakistani workforce,” he maintained.

The speaker also said that the partnership between DTESD, TVET SSP, and other development partners would help train the required workforce to meet the challenges for prosperity and economic growth in GB.

Addressing the audience, Ovidiu Mic said that the collaborative efforts of various development partners in this region could further build on what the EU and its development partners had initiated with our engagement over the past decade. This region has a lot of scope for a variety of skills in sectors such as construction, engineering, hospitality, information technology, and renewable energy, and “We look forward to continuing our engagement in the TVET sector.”

The TVET SSP, which is funded by European Union, Germany, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, is implemented by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NVTTC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in collaboration with regional TEVTAs, PVTC, and regional TVET bodies like GB DTESD.

The GB government is taking concrete steps for the promotion of the TVET sector through the approval of the TVET Act 2018 of Gilgit Baltistan. The legislative process has opened doors for real-time reforms in the TVET Sector of this remote region. Some key initiatives of TVET SSP in Gilgit-Baltistan include human resource development and private sector engagement in TVET.

Through this conference, the GB government provided a platform to present a roadmap for the sustainability of interventions of TVET SSP carried out since 2011 in the region. It will also encourage the TVET sector to attract donors and partners for the funding of key areas of the 5-year TVET Policy Implementation Plan and the Gilgit Baltistan TVET Strategy (2021-30).