ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Government of Punjab, launched a Digital Village Initiative (DVI) pilot site on Thursday.
In the new project, two sites, one in Sargodha and another in Rahim Yar Khan were launched after a detailed assessment conducted in seven districts of Punjab and Sindh with the support of provincial governments in two provinces.
Government officials, researchers, community leaders, male and female farmers, private sector representatives, and other key stakeholders were present at the launching event organized in Rahim Yar Khan.
The pilot launch is the global initiative of FAO under the 1000 Digital Village Initiate in Asia and the Pacific to bridge the technological divide and empower rural populations with access to digital resources, education, and opportunities.
Punjab farmers receive tablets
During the ceremony, pilot site villages’ female lead farmers also received ten tablets to use the agriculture-related apps on which they were already trained by FAO.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Hyper Localized Weather Station pilot site was also held in which the participants were briefed on digital monitoring and forecasting function of the weather station. The stations were installed on both sites along with the provision of required equipment in training halls for virtual training of farmers.
The stations will provide customised weather advisory, forecast pest and disease models and other information to farmers of ten kilometres range from its vicinity. Both weather station facilities are also equipped to conduct online trainings for farmers on the latest innovations in agriculture.
The farmers of selected pilot sites received training on various features of the weather station. Through these stations, farmers would be able to get customized and specific information to their farmland, authentic data and information which would help them in reducing costs related to inputs and taking measures for crop protection.
