Here is a partial list of countries where their national armies play a significant role in the agriculture sector: China, Israel, India, Russia, Brazil, Egypt, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Sudan, Ethiopia, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
Remember 1960? Wheat production stood at a meager 3.35 million tonnes. Then came General Ayub’s “Green Revolution,” a whirlwind of innovation that quadrupled wheat output by 1982. Rice followed suit, leaping from 2.24 million tonnes to a staggering 5.37 million tonnes – a 140% increase that left jaws agape.
Question: What was General Ayub’s secret recipe? Answer: A potent cocktail of four ingredients. One – High-yielding varieties. Supercharged seeds that produced more grains per plant, like tireless little factories. Two – Fertilizer. Shots of adrenaline for crops boosting growth and productivity like a magic potion. Three – Pesticides. The cavalry against pesky pests and diseases, safeguarding precious yields. Four – Irrigation. A lifeline of water, channeled through dams, canals and tube wells.
Fast forward to 2024, and General Asim Munir’s dreams of a “New Green Revolution.” Fast forward to 2024, the playbook governing our approach to a “New Green Revolution” needs a profound upgrade. The “New Green Revolution” would have to embrace cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices.
Times have changed. Climate change threatens our fragile gains. Water resources have dwindled. Soil health has deteriorated.
It’s here that General Asim Munir’s vision for a “New Green Revolution” takes root. This cannot be a mere echo of the past. Here are the four must-haves for this 21st-century agricultural revolution:
Genomics: We need to crack the genetic code of crops. We need to unlock superpowers like drought tolerance and disease resistance. We need wheat that thrives in the harshest sun. We need rice that laughs in the face of floods.
Digital Agriculture: We are going to need sensors that whisper secrets to the soil. We are going to need drones that paint fields with data. We are going to need AI (artificial intelligence) whispering wisdom to farmers. We need to minimize waste and maximize every drop of water, every ray of sunshine.
Smart Water Management: We need to put in place drip irrigation systems that weave through fields like delicate veins, delivering water directly to the roots of thirsty crops. We need to embed sensors in the soil to whisper real-time moisture levels, guiding each drop to where it’s needed most. No more wasteful sprays or flooding, just targeted hydration, like a tailor-made suit for every plant. Organic and Regenerative Agriculture: We need to nourish the land, not just the crops. We need to build healthy soil, teeming with life, that gives back tenfold. We need to nurture the land itself, not just extract from it.
At present, the whole of Pakistan generates $60 billion from its agricultural products. The Cholistan desert, spanning approximately 25,800 square kilometers, holds significant potential. Introducing SMART farming techniques in Cholistan could lead to an additional $60 billion in revenue, tapping into the cultivation of oranges, avocados, blueberries, grapes, apples, lemons, olives, nectarines, corn, wheat, and rice.
Pakistan’s fields would have to dance to a digital tune. Pakistan’s fields would need sensors whispering instructions to thirsty crops. Pakistan’s fields would need drones sowing seeds born from the wonders of biotechnology. Pakistan’s fields would need seeds whispering tales of drought tolerance, heat resilience, and disease defiance. Pakistan’s fields would need the magic of genomics. Pakistan’s fields would need precision irrigation guiding every drop of water to its perfect pitch.
