‘Modern farm machinery vital for food security’

Speakers at the Pakistan Agriculture Coalition's Agri-Connections Conference and Expo 2026 in Lahore argued that wider access to advanced farm equipment is needed to lift output and secure food supplies, according to Business Recorder. Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) stressed that mechanisation can help farmers raise productivity, cope with higher input costs and adapt to climate pressures. AGTL chief executive Yasin Seker urged a practical, farmer-focused approach to adopting new technology.

Seker told the audience Pakistan faces mounting strains from higher demand for food, weaker harvests, costlier inputs, scarce water, heat stress and unpredictable monsoons, so using farm assets wisely has become more urgent. Telematics, precision guidance and automatic steering were named as tools that might lift machine performance, limit duplicated passes across fields and let farmers apply seed, fertiliser and pesticides more precisely.

Seker added that new technology must first show its financial value on farms before it spreads more widely. He also called for a shift past standard tractorisation toward a joined-up model that blends machines, precise guidance and digital tools. Custom hiring, equipment rental, leasing and mechanisation as a service were put forward as options, particularly for smaller farmers unable to buy machines outright.