Stressing the need for importance of knowledge sharing, Luis Camacho, Stewardship Lead for Asia/Africa Bayer Pakistan has urged the growers to equip themselves with necessary knowledge and skills to improve their productivity aimed at growing their business and increasing their livelihood. He was speaking at a "farmer meeting" recently arranged by the Bayer Pakistan - Crop Science in Kasur to understand the challenges of the farmers and promote the adoption of modern technologies and farming practices.
Much of the agriculture landscape in Pakistan consists of small-hold farmers with limited access to requisite agronomic knowledge. The event allowed Bayer Pakistan - Crop Science to overcome the technological barriers and learning limitations by providing a platform where knowledge pertaining to the benefits of technology and modern farming practices could be shared with hundreds of farmers.
While interacting with farmers, Luis Camacho, Stewardship Lead for Asia/Africa Region at Bayer Crop Science, reinforced the importance of knowledge sharing. "For farmers to grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods, they need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to improve their productivity. Therefore, we work closely with small-hold farmers to develop holistic approaches to ensure food security, with a focus on knowledge transfer, partnerships and customized agronomic solutions", he explained.
"In line with our commitment to bring the latest agriculture technologies to the farmers, we will be introducing biotech maize hybrids which are resistant to insect attack and provide better weed control, subsequently saving input costs for the farmer and significantly enhancing yields", Camacho added.
This meeting followed the series of farmer-level events held under Bayer Pakistan - Crop Science's Farmer Ambassador (or Numberdaar) programme across all major corn growing districts of Punjab. Launched in 2018, the programme recognizes prominent progressive farmers from each corn growing territory and encourages them to act as change agents for the proliferation of best farming practices amongst the broader farming community.
Rashid Ahmad, a progressive farmer from Kasur and a staunch advocate of Bayer Pakistan's outreach initiatives believes that "the farming community needs to adopt modern agricultural practices to remain relevant in the sector."
He further added: "Bayer Pakistan continues to provide us with opportunities to learn about the latest trends, technologies and farming practices that can bolster our yields and profitability".
Over 500 progressive farmers were nominated as Numberdaars from 14 districts of Punjab - Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Gojra, Chiniot, Depalpur, Kasur, Basirpur, Burewala, Arifwala, Mian Channu, Chichawatni and Mailsi - with an expected outreach of 30,000 small-hold farmers across the target region. Bayer is a Life Science company with more than 150-year history.