Pakistan has produced record crops of cotton with 14.6 million bales and 21.6 million tonnes of wheat. According to a press release issued by Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), the ministry was taking steps to improve the quality of agricultural statistics.
It said for this purpose crop reporting programmes in the provinces were being strengthened. The coverage of crops in Punjab was being extended to horticultural crops, the statement added.
In Sindh and NWFP the system is also being upgraded. It said the ministry has asked Suparco to develop satellite-based system to provide time series quality data of crops.
The Suparco initiated work on developing a Crop Estimation System for cotton crop in three districts of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Ghotki.
Director Satellite Ground Station Imran Iqbal made a presentation in this regard to the Secretary Minfal M Ismail Qureshi.
The technology developed by Suparco is presently a pilot activity, which would be expanded to cover other crops and areas and is believed to make a breakthrough in the estimation of crop statistics.
The Suparco has also been instructed by Minfal to develop technology for forecasting and early warning system of crops with respect to crop growth stages and production estimates.