Agriculture Series Interviews

How Smarter Farming Can Transform Pakistan’s Agriculture | EP 3

Agriculture contributes 20% of Pakistan’s GDP and employs 40% of the workforce—yet so much of its potential remains untapped. In this episode of Pakistan & Counting, Junaid Iqbal is joined by Zeeshan Baig (CGM, Syngenta Pakistan) to unpack how smarter seeds, better crop planning, and tech innovation could unlock the future of farming in Pakistan. 🎯 Episode 3 dives into: 1- Why crop planning and crop choices are central to food security 2- How water misuse, poor seed quality, and lack of R&D hurt yields 3- The case for certified seeds and regulated innovation 4- Why rice and sugarcane could be liabilities, not assets 5- How farmer cooperatives, technology, and inclusion (especially women) can drive growth 🎥 Thank you to Syngenta Pakistan for supporting Pakistan & Counting. 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications to stay updated on Pakistan’s economic future. Follow Pakistan & Counting on: 🔹 X: https://x.com/PakAndCounting 🔹 FB: https://www.facebook.com/PakistanAndCounting 🔹 IG: https://www.instagram.com/pakistanandcounting/ 🔹 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pakistanandcounting?_t=8rbVjlJIYOw&_r=1 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pakistan-and-counting/ #JunaidIqbal #PakistanAndCounting #FarmingFuture

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How Smarter Farming Can Transform Pakistan’s Agriculture | EP 3

See the full Agriculture Series Interviews series

Time Stamps:

Introduction to the series and Zeeshan Baig’s background (CEO of Syngenta Pakistan).
Zeeshan’s career journey (telecom, consulting, transition to agriculture).
How Zeeshan joined Syngenta and his impact.
Agriculture’s contribution to GDP (20%) and workforce (40%).
Major challenges (resource scarcity, climate, mismanagement).
Crop planning issues (rice & sugarcane inefficiencies, water wastage).
Lack of long-term strategic planning in agriculture.
Low R&D spending (0.2% of GDP vs. India’s 0.2% = $12B).
Need for public-private partnerships (example: BT Cotton in India).
Low certified seed usage (less than 25% in Pakistan vs. 50% in neighboring countries).
IP theft, lack of hybrid/GMO seeds (wheat & cotton restrictions).
Success story of maize (corn) due to deregulation.
Pesticide misuse, counterfeit products, resistance development.
Lack of innovation in crop protection (restrictive policies on biological products).
Need for drone technology & digital farming (lack of policies in Pakistan).
Importance of deregulation, private sector involvement, and innovation.
Youth & women’s role in agri-tech (DroneSpring, CropWise app).
End: Final thoughts on transforming Pakistan’s agriculture.