KHANEWAL: The defense forces have initiated a cutting-edge corporate agriculture farming project with the aim of ensuring national food security and exploring the export market.
FonGrow, a subsidiary of the Fauji Foundation led by defense forces, is driving this modern corporate farming endeavor. It seeks to elevate Pakistan’s agriculture to new heights.
Major General (retd) Tahir Aslam, the CEO of FonGrow, emphasized the focus on import-substitution farming to replace expensive imports with domestic production. Pakistan army supports the flagship project named Green Pakistan Initiative. It marks a significant step towards fully mechanized and intelligent farming in the country.
This achievement was celebrated in the presence of the Prime Minister and Chief of the Army Staff, General Asim Munir.
During a media visit to the 2,250-acre site of Pakistan’s first corporate farm, Aslam revealed their ambition to expand corporate farms to 100,000 acres. He focused on cultivating various crops like wheat, cotton, oilseeds, soybean, and sesame in different districts. The Green Initiative aims to establish corporate farming on one million acres of land. It also aims to foster partnerships with foreign and local players.
The FonGrow farm, covering mostly barren land, is the first step towards an agricultural revolution. The trial of maize crops has already shown promising results with 20% higher output compared to progressive farmers while conserving water, fertilizers, and other resources.
FonGrow emphasizes that they are not competing with small-scale farmers but rather introducing best farming practices at different levels. The Manager of Farms, Muhammad Zahid Aziz, stressed the need for both horizontal and vertical expansion of agriculture. Such initiatives increase cultivation areas and enhance per-acre yield. FonGrow is using resource conservation technology, including high-efficiency center pivot irrigation. It can save up to 90% of water, unlike conventional flood irrigation, where a significant amount of water is lost before reaching the plants.
Other Planned Projects
Moreover, similar corporate farming projects are planned for desert and semi-desert lands in Bhakkar, Mankera, and Layyah. The implementation of such advanced corporate farming practices shows a significant departure from traditional methods. It promises a more sustainable and productive future for agriculture in Pakistan.
