Youth Training Course Concludes With Vows To Adopt Modern Irrigation Techniques

The young men from the farming families have committed for adapting efficient water management practices to curtail water shortages while expressing their views at the completion ceremony of a 15-day training course

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2019 ) :The young men from the farming families have committed for adapting efficient water management practices to curtail water shortages while expressing their views at the completion ceremony of a 15-day training course.

The course titled 'Foundation Course on Water Leadership for Youth' was organized by Research Development Foundation (RDF) at a local hotel here on Saturday.

The young farmers told participants how the world had adopted modern practices to use small pieces of land and getting more produce instead of performing the agriculture traditionally. They said sustainable and efficient use of irrigation water was the only way to enhance crop productivity and help end poverty in the rural areas. Abdul Waheed Shaikh, Commissioner Mirpurkhas division, while addressing the ceremony, urged the farmers to utilize the modern learning in agriculture and water management practices to face the emerging challenges.

"We have natural resources of water with river Indus and huge infrastructures on barrages, canals and watercourses. But we have to practice the water system efficiency while improving productivity," he suggested. He noted that mismanagement and poor governance existed in the water distribution system, adding that there was a need for a participatory approach to assure proper water distribution.The commissioner said the small farmers in the tail end areas of the irrigation networks were the end users of water who always faced hardship in getting their due share.

Shaikh was of the view that the farmers should be motivated to promote agriculture entrepreneurship. He suggested promotion of smart agriculture and bringing a change of behaviour in the farmers through the training programs. Ghulam Mustafa Nangraj, Deputy Director Agriculture Extension Department, while sharing his experiences said tunnel farming was an inspiring method for water efficiency and enhanced productivity.

He said the tunnel farming was being applied in many parts of the world which could provide learning experience to Pakistan's farmers. Ashfaq Ahmed Soomro, Executive Director RDF, in his introductory speech said currently youth bulge was 63 percent of the total population in Pakistan."Efficient resource management should be taught as a priority to the youth," he proposed. Director Sindh Development Study Center (SDSC) Ghulam Ali Jariko said agriculture was a rich source of economy for the country, emphasizing that there existed a pressing need to promote new leadership in agriculture and water management practices."The traditional practices should be replaced with the new successful models," he underlined. Prof Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar of Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, talked about climate change, its effects on natural resources and suggested focusing on small-scale farming. During the course the youth learnt various concepts of water governance and observed smart farming techniques, management of water bodies and resources in Sindh, lower and central Punjab.