LAHORE – Pakistan has become world’s first country to use an advancedsatellite technology for crops mapping in the country.

Pakistan has started to use the multi-spectral imagery technology through aremote sensing via Satellite Sentinel 2A to prepare crops mapping.

The technology will be used to determine the kind, health of crops andmoisture in the soil and to predict the quantum of production said, Dr UmarSaif, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) during aninterview with a private TV channel on project ‘Food@Home’ on Friday.

The use of satellites is advantageous as it can generate a systematic andrepetitive coverage of a large area and provide information about thehealth of the vegetation.

After the implementation of new technology, Pakistan would no longer dependon foreign assistance for crop mapping, Umar added.

Previously, people would use android phones to report the GPS locationthrough which Google provided a three-meter resolution in black. WhileSatellite Sentinel 2A, which passes over Pakistan space once a week willgive 13 colours imagery to help identify various crops data, including seedquality, growth, disease, the area of cultivation, yield, impact on theeconomy and to determine the export potential of the excess crop, he stated.

The digitalised data would also help in market facilitation and stability,cost price, direct issuance of interest-free loans to small farmers bybanks and subsidy without involving middlemen.

The project will also help the government to formulate agriculture policy,insurance companies, agriculture departments, and industry could benefitfrom the data gathered in real time, expressed Dr Umar.