Pakistan’s agriculture sector, which employs over 37 percent of the labour force and contributes nearly 23.54 percent to the country’s GDP, is under rising pressure from environmental disturbances, water shortage, market volatility, shifting agro-ecological zones, and crop diversity.

In current times, however, this sector has begun to adopt a quiet transformation empowered by digital innovations. From smartphone applications and satellite imagery to real-time weather forecasts and e-extension & knowledge sharing platforms, growers, especially smallholders, have been starting to access ICT tools that were once out of their reach.

In districts like Multan, Shujabad, and Umerkot, the usage of smartphone-based extension services is assisting growers to plan irrigation, respond to pest-insect diseases, and judicious use of inputs. Rizwan Hashmi, a cotton farmer from Kabirwala, recalls using an app that sent pest alerts in advance of a regional infestation. “I followed the advice and sprayed early, my agricultural output did not affect, unlike other farmers,” he shared. These success stories, though scattered, are becoming increasingly common as ICTs penetrate........

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