By: Waheed Shaikh
Prepare Land Manage the crop Harvest it Sell it What is missing? Value Addition
What value addition is Tast e App earn ce Fresh ness Uniqu eness Clean lines s Relia ble Value added agriculture is a process of increasing the economic value and consumer appeal of an agricultural commodity. It is an alternative production and marketing strategy that requires a better understanding of the rapidly changing food industry and food safety issues, consumer preferences, business savvy, and team work How value addition is to be achieved?
Start small and grow naturally. Make decisions based on good records. Create a high-quality product. Follow demand-driven production. Get the whole family or partners involved. Keep informed. Plan for the future. Continuous evaluation. Perseverance. Adequate capitalization.
Introduction to Agriculture department
Area of Sindh in Hectares Population of Sindh Culture able Area Crop Area 14.09 MH 32 Mill 5.88 MH 3.06 MH
Crops in Sindh Major Crops Horticulture Crops -- Rice* 35% -- Sugarcane 28% -- Cotton* 20% -- Wheat 12% Vegetable Crops 1.4% -- Chillies* -- Tomato* -- Onion* -- Varieties of Seasonable Vegetables -- Fruits 3.3% -- Banana* -- Mangoes* -- Dates* -- Guava -- Cheeko -- Strawberry Other Crops -- Condiments 4.1% -- Pulses 4.7% -- Oil seeds 3.8% -- Fodder Crop* *Exportable Crop
Corporate farming. Seeds Production & Processing Industry. Agricultural Produce Export. Silos / Storage / Stowage Facilitation. Agri Park Development. Medicinal Plant. Agricultural Mechanization facility centers. Technology Transfer under buyback system. Exclusive Agriculture Zone. Protect Agriculture Future.
Most important is the seed after soil & water, unfortunately we are far behind in seed production and processing. Healthy and certified seeds are the base of the entire yield, good seed and hybrid seed is of great demand. Aging and Processed seeds can be provided through the investors. Introduction of valuable and expensive crops seeds for the export of Agriculture produce.
Export of Horticulture produce, fruits and vegetables according to International Standards. Post Harvest technologies. Processing & Packaging. Storages. Agri Marketing & Market Linkage. Value Addition through Small scale On-farm Mechanized Units.
Establishment of Silos. Control Atmospheric Stores. Cool Chain System. Agri Park Development Agriculture under Control environment with organic farming and using advance biotechnological activities for high intensive agriculture.
This is an ignored area under agriculture, medicinal plants are gaining importance day by day and diversified climate and terrain appeals to bring out this opportunity for better cultivation in the field of medicine indigenous herbs, sherbs and variety of wild Ethno medicinal plant and their extracts will support medical and cosmological industry. Agricultural Mechanization facility centers Agriculture Department presently providing wide range of implements and equipments on subsidy. Alternative Energy and Renewable Resources in Agriculture are introduced but in meager quantity. Tubewell installations on subsidy. Water Conservation Technologies on subsidy. Hydro geological support is not enough for the existing and future agriculture.
Foreign investment focusing on technology transfer for Agriculture is highly needed for this purpose. Farmers can be motivated to get the yield according to the demand of the technology and investors as buyback, they will be more flourished and build their capacity to increase yields with attractive and confirmed incentives. Exclusive Agriculture Zone The foreign investors can avail the opportunity from Sindh being the multi-climatic area, having sufficient land and water, gateway to entire world and having energetic youth available. Agriculture Department offers great opportunities to the countries which are looking for exclusive food, countries facing disaster but have great potential in technological aspect such as Japan is facing the post earthquake situation. Countries having unfavorable climates and having longer winter season, depends on imports of food items.
Currently world is facing environmental hazards and unpredictable climatic change with alarming food security. To overcome the food scarcity, capacity building is the core issue to trigger the young farmers who can protect Agricultures future and ensure food to combat hunger, awareness to farmers. High increase in carbon emation. Urban Agriculture Agriculture Risk Management. Land Quality Management. Water Conservation. Market information for development of a robust commercial agriculture sector. Seed Preservation. Market and quality control regulations. Agri Marketing & linkage. Food Preservation.
Geographical Existence. Suitable to Cater as food basket. Huge Natural Resources. Agri Friendly Climate & land. Strong Youth Potential. Favourable domestic market. Viable Irrigation / Communication Network. Minimum Environmental effected region.