‘Modern farm machinery vital for food security’

Pakistan’s agriculture sector requires increased access to cutting-edge machinery and technology to boost productivity and strengthen food security, according to speakers at the Pakistan Agriculture Coalition’s Agri-Connections Conference & Expo 2026 in Lahore. Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) emphasized the role of modern farm mechanization in enabling farmers to boost productivity, manage rising input costs, and adapt to climate-related challenges.

AGTL Chief Executive Officer Yasin Seker advocated for a practical, farmer-led approach to technology adoption at the event, noting that Pakistan faces mounting pressure from rising food demand, low crop yields, surging input costs, water scarcity, heat stress, and erratic monsoons. Seker highlighted telematics, precision guidance, and automatic steering as technologies that could enhance machine efficiency, minimize overlapping field operations, and facilitate more accurate use of seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection products.

He stressed that new technologies should initially prove their economic value on a farmer’s own field before broader adoption. During a panel discussion titled "The Future of Technology in Agriculture," Seker advocated moving beyond conventional tractorisation to an integrated system incorporating machinery, precision technology, and digital tools.

He also proposed custom hiring, machinery rental, leasing, and mechanization-as-a-service as potential models to improve access to modern equipment, particularly for small farmers who may lack the means to purchase individual machinery.