ISLAMABAD - Ignite National Technology Fund, a company associated with Ministry of IT and Telecom, entered into framework collaboration agreement with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) to further the use of digitisation and innovation in the development of tech-based solutions to benefit sustainable agricultural production (agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture), increase food & nutrition security and increase farmers’ access to markets.
Ignite CEO Asim Shahryar Husain, and PARC Secretary Roshan Zada, inked the framework collaboration agreement in the presence of Syed Junaid Imam, Member IT, Ministry of IT & Telecom and Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan, Chairman PARC. The framework collaboration agreement aims to leverage the use of digitisation and innovation in the development of tech-based solutions to benefit sustainable agricultural production (agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture), to boost agricultural productivity, and to increase farmers’ access to markets.
In his address, Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan, Chairman PARC apprising the audience of PARC tech-based initiatives said that agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy as it contributes around 20 percent in the overall gross domestic product (GDP) at present and is also a big source of employment. Low growth, water shortage, environmental concerns, volatile energy prices, rising expectations of consumers – these are some of the complex challenges our agriculture sector is facing today, in the face of diminishing profit margins for farmers. Speaking at the occasion, Asim Shahryar Husain, CEO Ignite, said that innovation in agriculture cuts across the entire value chain - from crop, forestry, fishery or livestock production to the management of inputs and resources to market access.