Pakistan has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, exceeding 26 million — one-third of the total child population aged five to 16. The overwhelming majority of these children, who remain completely illiterate and unskilled, belong to rural areas. Consequently, they are likely to end up in the agriculture sector (crops and livestock) as smallholders, farm workers, or labourers in micro and small enterprises within rural areas.

If this long-standing national challenge persists — which seems likely, given the current inadequate investment in education, high poverty rate, and population growth rate exceeding 2.55 per cent — Pakistan’s agriculture sector will increasingly be dominated by such a workforce that lacks even basic reading and numeracy skills.

At the same time, agriculture is transforming into a more complex, technology-driven, and mechanised sector with an increasingly global and export-oriented focus. The greatest challenge for Pakistan’s farmers is to enhance productivity and stay globally competitive by adopting high-yielding seeds, as well as advanced technologies such as precision agriculture, high-efficiency irrigation systems, solar-powered equipment, and bio-engineered crop protection solutions.

Moreover, traceability, sanitary and phytosanitary compliance, and food safety standards have gradually become critical in recent times. Such an evolving landscape makes it increasingly difficult for illiterate and unskilled workers, who are abundantly available in rural areas, to perform........

© Dawn Business