Empowering farmers through digital literacy for a food-secure future

Muhammad Atif Ismail MULTAN, Aug 18 (APP)::For generations, farmers in South Punjab have looked to the soil, the seasons and inherited wisdom to decide what to sow and when to harvest. Today, however, another powerful tool is quietly entering the fields the smartphone. In an era of climate uncertainty, rising input costs and changing markets, the device in a farmer's hand can be almost as important as a plough, tractor or irrigation system. Weather forecasts, crop advisories, disease alerts, market prices, government schemes, digital payments and agricultural services are increasingly available through mobile phones and online platforms. Yet owning a smartphone does not necessarily mean knowing how to use it effectively. This growing gap between digital access and digital literacy is emerging as a new challenge for farmers in South Punjab. For a region where millions of livelihoods remain connected with agriculture, digital literacy is no longer simply a technological skill. It can directly influence farm decisions, production costs, market access and income. A digitally aware farmer can check weather forecasts before irrigating fields, receive warnings about heavy rain or extreme heat, identify crop diseases, consult agricultural experts, compare market prices, learn about government schemes and use digital payment services. He can also access information about modern farming techniques, water conservation, fertilizer application, pest management and climate-resilient agriculture. The importance of such information is increasing as farmers face rising input costs, water shortages, changing weather patterns and emerging pest and disease threats. Malik Arif Kalro, a progressive farmer told APP that he frequently checks weather forecasts through social media and makes farming decisions accordingly. Such practices demonstrate how digital platforms are already becoming part of everyday agricultural decision-making. But digital agriculture can only deliver its full potential when farmers know how to distinguish reliable information from misinformation. Social media is full of agricultural advice, but not every recommendation about pesticides, fertilizers, diseases or weather is authentic. A farmer who cannot verify the source of information can make an expensive mistake. Digital literacy, therefore, must include not only the ability to access information but also the ability to understand, evaluate and verify it. Digital skills can also strengthen farmers' position in agricultural markets. Malik Sadaqat, another farmer from Nawabpur, Multan, said he markets his products through social media and digital platforms, using them to connect with middlemen as well as customers in different cities. For farmers, such platforms can expand markets beyond their immediate surroundings and help them discover potential buyers and prevailing prices. 'This does not mean that traditional market networks or middlemen will disappear. Rather, access to independent digital market information can give farmers greater bargaining power and more choices when deciding where and when to sell their produce,' Sadaqat stated in response to a query. The benefits extend beyond markets. A farmer with basic digital literacy can learn about government subsidies, agricultural loans, registration programmes and other support initiatives. He can access online government services, use mobile banking, receive payments and maintain digital records of farm expenses and production. Tanvir, a digital service provider in Vehari, said many farmers regularly contact him for submitting applications for different government agricultural schemes, including land laser levelers and green tractors. He said five people in the locality had received subsidized green tractors through a government scheme. Agriculture expert Ghulam Mustafa of Vehari told APP that artificial intelligence could further expand these opportunities. Farmers may increasingly be able to use AI-based tools to identify crop diseases through images, seek guidance about farming practices and receive information tailored to their crops and local conditions. Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani has also emphasized the importance of this transition, saying agricultural digitization is an important part of the ongoing agricultural transformation agenda and that modern digital technology should be used to make guidance for farmers more effective and result-oriented. He stressed that modern mobile applications could provide important information about crop growth and other agricultural data. Similarly, digital technology can improve the timely identification of crop diseases and help farmers receive appropriate guidance. For South Punjab, however, digitization must go beyond developing sophisticated applications. The real challenge is ensuring that an ordinary farmer can actually use them. Many older farmers are more comfortable with Urdu, Saraiki or Punjabi than English. Complicated registration procedures, passwords, verification codes and English-language interfaces can discourage them from using digital services. Therefore, digital literacy programmes should be designed around the farmer rather than around technology. Training should be taken directly to villages, farmer organizations, agricultural markets and rural communities. Farmers do not need lengthy technical courses. They need practical lessons on how to check weather forecasts, identify official advisories, search for crop-disease information, compare market prices, register for government schemes, use digital payments safely and recognize fraudulent links or messages. Agricultural extension workers can play a crucial role by becoming digital facilitators. Instead of simply performing online tasks for farmers, they can teach farmers how to perform these tasks themselves. Village-level digital agriculture centres could also provide farmers with access to verified agricultural information, internet services and basic training. Local-language video content on cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, vegetables and livestock could make digital learning easier and more relevant. The private sector, agricultural universities and research institutions can contribute by developing reliable digital content and AI-based tools in Urdu, Saraiki and Punjabi. Government departments, meanwhile, should ensure that official digital services remain simple, mobile-friendly and accessible to people with limited digital skills. The objective should not be to turn every farmer into a technology expert. It should be to ensure that a farmer does not lose a crop, a market opportunity, a government benefit or money simply because he does not know how to use a digital service. South Punjab's farmers have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to adapt to new seeds, machinery and farming techniques. Digital technology should be treated as the next agricultural tool. The smartphone is already in the farmer's hand. The next step is to equip him with the knowledge to turn that device into a source of reliable information, better decisions, wider markets and greater economic opportunity. The future of farming might depend not only on what the farmer grows in the field, but also on what he can learn from the screen in his hand. Because in the farms of tomorrow, the next big harvest may not begin with a seed; it may begin with a single piece of information.