All necessary arrangements have been finalised to launch a project of revamping agriculture extension services aimed at tracking it on modern lines costing Rs 113.655 million across the Punjab. Under the present set up, agriculture extension is confronted with multifarious challenges like capacity of the extension workers, diversification, intensification, value addition and land fragmentation. Under the circumstances, the use of ICT has been considered appropriate to improve extension services in Punjab.Official sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday that the objective of the project was to improve the Extension Delivery System through introduction of innovation techniques of information and communication technologies (ICT). The specific objectives of the project are to an Agriculture Extension ICT hub will be established to increase the reach of farmers towards modern package of technology for exploration and integration of ICT resources like SMS, website and call centres to facilitate farmers through this Agriculture Extension ICT hub and to establish a dedicated system of monitoring of agriculture extension workers, transforming of existing reporting system of agriculture extension to e-reporting, dissemination of latest crop production technologies through district and provincial level centres and provision of missing broadband internet facilities to district, tehsil and markaz level extension offices.
The overall objective of Agriculture sector was to increase productivity, increase efficiency of agriculture extension system and to improve the extension delivery system through suitable information and communication technology. Under the programme ICT centres will be established in agriculture offices through the provision of laptop and multimedia, sources added.
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