LAHORE: In an effort to settle disputes over crop data, especially in Punjab, a new programme aims to use satellite technology to obtain accurate crop cultivation figures.

Unreliable figures on total acreage and production of a specific crop have remained a persistent issue for the country.

The lack of accurate information makes it difficult for stakeholders, including government departments, to frame import and export strategies to meet national needs.

The new satellite-based system, set to be launched next year, is expected to resolve this long-standing problem.

Initiative may help streamline discrepancies between data released by crop reporting body and cotton ginners

This initiative, a brainchild of the Special Investment Faci­li­tation Council (SIFC), will involve a collaboration between China and the country’s Land Info­rmation and Management System (LIMS), launched in 2023 to optimise agricultural production through innovative technologies, and sustainable agricultural practices.

This move is likely to help settle a major controversy, surrounding the methodology used by the Punjab Crop Reporting Service (CRS) to determine provincial cotton output, which has been dogged by allegations of inflated and misleading statistics.

CRS authorities, however, accuse cotton ginners of........

© Dawn Business