Tajikistan is pursuing plans to digitalize its agricultural sector with emerging technologies, partnering with international organizations and private sector players.
The latest attempt sees Tajikistan ink a partnership deal with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to further its digitalization objectives. According to an official FAO report, Tajikistan has adopted an official program for digitalizing the agrarian sector.
The program, designed with technical assistance from the FAO, provides a five-year road map for Tajikistan to achieve its digitalization goals. Set to run from 2025-2030, the initiative seeks to place a keen focus on introducing advanced technologies.
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon approved the scheme in a high-level meeting, targeting a climate-resistant and efficient agricultural industry.
“The approval of this program reflects the Government’s strong political will in the further continuation of agrarian reform to accelerate the implementation of digital technologies in agriculture through digital tools and smart innovation, said Tajikistan Deputy Minister of Agriculture Nigina Anvari.
Over the next five years, Tajikistan authorities are pledging to increase investment in physical infrastructure to support the incoming digitalization wave. Furthermore, there are ambitious plans to improve the digital literacy skills of farmers while supporting innovation by local ecosystem players.
Under the program, Tajikistan and the FAO will democratize farmers’ access to weather and pest forecasts. The program aims to improve traceability and transparency in supply chains while supporting farmers’ participation in “digitally enabled value chains.”
The FAO reveals that it will also adopt a phased approach with strict annual monitoring to ensure adherence to objectives.
Next-gen agricultural processes take center stage
Several countries are making significant inroads in applying emerging technologies in their agricultural sectors. The easiest opportunity concerns the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in traditional farming processes, with the AI in agriculture market tipped to reach $10 billion before 2032.
China and Brazil have inked a bilateral collaboration to explore AI use cases to reclaim arid land and improve yield for subsistent farmers. In Japan, leading commercial farms are turning to AI-powered harvesters while others are using Internet of Things (IoT) devices to access real-time soil and weather data.
HSBC lends hand to Philippines’ agricultural sector
Elsewhere, the Philippine arm of global investment bank HSBC (NASDAQ: HSBC) has announced the launch of a new initiative designed to assist small-scale farmers and fishermen to brave a raft of climate challenges.
HSBC Philippines is teaming up with the Bayan Family of Foundations and agritech firm Mayani. The trio will support subsistent farmers in the Southeast Asian country to maintain sustainable food production levels amid mounting climatic conditions in the Philippines.
Sandeep Uppal, CEO of HSBC Philippines, disclosed in a statement that the partnership will back the integration of digital tools to subsistent farming and fishery activities. Rather than focus on individuals, the project will support farming cooperatives made up of several small-scale farmers and fishermen, which parties say will have the highest impact on the agricultural landscape.
“This important partnership will aim to support local farmers and fishermen to adapt climate-resilient practices and strengthen their businesses, while also striving to contribute towards the improvement of food security in the Philippines,” said Uppal.
There are plans to incorporate smart greenhouses and precision farming systems training for the farming cooperatives. Additionally, the initiative will incorporate indigenous farming techniques while providing training for farmers to embrace emerging digital tools to improve existing processes.
The project is adopting a phased approach, rolling out in the vulnerable areas of Luzon and Visayas before the end of the year. Furthermore, the project will expand its reach to small-scale farmers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2026.
Small-scale farmers, providing 70% of the nation’s food, are bearing the brunt of climatic challenges in the Philippines. Mayani co-founder Ochie San Juan revealed that while climate conditions are a constant in agricultural practices, emerging technologies can equip farmers and fishermen with the tools to tackle the issue head on.
Watch | From farm to plate: Blockchain revolutionizes livestock industry
title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””>