Major Problems of Agriculture Sector in Pakistan

Though the agricultural sector is facing problems in Pakistan yet the major chunk of money comes from this sector. Following are the major causes of agricultural problems in Pakistan which disturb the agricultural growth or development in Pakistan.

By Allah Dad Khan allahdad52@gmail.com

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By Allah Dad Khan By Allah Dad Khan

1. Limited cultivable area

Problem Solution

Pakistan is rich in fertile land yet the land is being wasted in different ways. 79.6% million hectors of land is culturable where as only 20.43% million hectors is cultivated

Waste Land to be developed on public private partnership.The students should be given the cultivable wasteland and they should be given a target. Performance based farming based on the new research should be promoted and incentives should be given to those farmers who perform and get higher yields by the adoption of new technology.Government of Pakistan took a step towards the provision of the cultivable waste land to the students that are related to agriculture sector but the land holding groups didn’t permit the government to precede the project .

2. Water Logging and Salinity

Problem Eradication

Percolated irrigation water has raised the underground water level and subsequently has water logging. It is rightly said that water logging is the cancer of the soil. Because of poor soil drainage and improper irrigation practices, the huge amount of arable land is waterlogged and has became saline now. This problems has destroyed millions of acres of farmland in the country. Water logging and deposition of whitish crust of salts are changing farmland into unproductive land and many areas, the crop fields are reduced considerably. Reports say that during every five minutes, one acre fertile farmland is taken out from agriculture, because of this problem. Such land losses must be checked by draining the affected areas and by planting there hydrophytes

The land which has been declared useless due to salinity and water-logging should be reclaimed. Tube-wells should be installed in the affected areas to decrease the salinity. Beds of new canals should be made of concrete to avoid water-logging. These measures should be taken on priority basis to avoid further deterioration of land

3.Low Yield per Acre

Problem Remedies

Owing old methods of cultivation and harvesting, Pakistan has low yield per acre that means the average crop in Pakistan is just 1/4th of that of advance states. Where as Nepal, India and Bangladesh are using modern  scientific methods to increase their yield per acre.  All measures to increase productivity will need exploiting, amongst them: increasing yields, diversification to higher value crops, and developing value chains to reduce marketing costs

The crops yield can also be increased to a great extent by using fertilizers. The use of artificial manure should be introduced throughout the country. Due to poverty and illiteracy our farmers hesitate to purchase the fertilizers and machines to improve their yield.

4.Inadequate infrastructure

Problem Solution

Inadequate Infrastructure Rural infrastructure like, roads, storage facilities, transport, electricity, education, sanitation and health facilities etc. is inadequate to meet the requirement of growth of agriculture. Total length of farm-to-market road is not only shorter but their condition is also poor. Many villages have no metal-led road at all. Electricity is available to only 3/4 rural populations

Provisi. Infrastructure is essential in agriculture for region and for Pakistan in particular. Majority of Pakistanis are directly linked with agriculture and related businesses and it is also true for India and Bangladesh, two major countries in the region.on of infrastructure

5.Uneconomical land holding

Problem Solution

The small farmers are increasing in our country as the lands are dividing generation by generation. So, there are large number of farmers who own only 4 acres of land. These small farmers do not get credit facilities to purchase seeds, pesticides, fertilizers etc. Additionally, a large area of land is owned by feudal and the farmers who work on their lands, are just tenants. This uncertain situation of occupancy neither creates incentive of work nor does attract capital investment

Cooperative Farming . Corporate farming might be a good idea for niche products (horticulture or medicinal) crops, but opening up major farming to huge corporations would dangerously marginalise the small farmers — socially and economically a risky proposition

6.Convential Farming Practices

Problem Solution

Conventional farming practices have an owner yield as compared to the modern practices. It is perhaps a great hurdle to replace the conventional methods with modern ones. The traditional practices are more common in the developing countries like Pakistan and these practices are mainly due to the smaller farm size as the small level peasant is unable to bear the farm expenses and result in low yield per unit area .

A recent analysis showed that globally, ecological farming can produce, on average, about 30 percent more food per hectare than conventional agriculture. Pakistan’s per hectare rice yield is 3.1 ton whereas China is the largest producer of rice with per hectare yield of 6.5 ton, similarly Pakistan produces pulses per year with per hectare yield of 0.6 ton and China produces 1.2 ton per hectare which is twice that of Pakistan. Pakistan’s sugarcane production is 52.4 ton per hectare whereas China obtains a yield of 65.7 ton per hectare. 

7.Various insect , pest and plant Diseases

Problem Solution

Due to lack of agricultural education and methods of modern research, our farmers cannot control the various diseases of crops and attacks of pests and insects.The result is low yields.

Various plant diseases damage a large part of our crops.But our farmers have no effective control over them.Therefore,preventive and narrative measures should be taken throughout the country.• One of the safest ways to manage the insect pests is the use of IPM/bio-control agents. Biological control consists of conservation, augmentation and importation of Biological based Technologies. The last two steps require rearing of bio-control agents.

9.Storage of water

Problem

our farmers have to face many problems due to scarcity of water which is one our major problems. Large tracts of land estimated to be about 22 million acres is lying uncultivated due to shortage of water. Rainfall is uncertain and the existing irrigational facilities in our country are quite insufficient and need to be extended. 

More dams should be constructed on Indus, Jehlum and Chenab rivers. This will enhance the storage capacity of water and reduce the per acre cost of all the crops. This step will also reduce the salinity chances of the lands as less tubewell water will be flooded to the lands which cause salinity

10.Political instability

Problem Solution

  Political instability has affected development in all economic and social sectors. Unfortunately, the political situations in Pakistan are not stable. It creates unrest among the farmers to sell the productions to various industries as a raw material. On the other hand, people hesitate to invest in agricultural sector due to political unrest.

Preference to Agriculture sector

11.Lack of credit

Problem Solution

Agricultural credit : Modern profit motivated agriculture requires increased use of inputs for improvement in productivity which the farmers ,especially small ,subsistent ,below subsistent level farmers and tenants can ill afford .Timely availability of adequate credit to the farmers for sustainable agriculture production is a pre-requisite .The excessive documentation involved in the cumbersome procedural measures and corruption in existing banking system for giving loans act as an effective deterrent for the spread of institutional credit to the genuine small category of farmers . 

The use of better seeds, fertilizers and modern implements is not possible without adequate credit facilities for the farmers. The government has extended the existing credit facilities to a large extent. The commercial banks also grant loans to the farmers, but still there is a need for more facilities as our farmers are very poor. Provide loans to the farmer at low rate of interest so that they will be freed from the clutches of local moneylenders who squeeze them. It is said that farmer in born into debt, lives in debt and dies in debt.

12. Erosion Problem

Problem Solution

Erosion removes top-soil and exposes sub-soil, thereby changing its characteristic productivity. Erosion reduces organic matter. Reduction of The physical properties such as water holding capacity and infiltration capacity are reduced due to soil erosion which consequently further enhances the process. The soil structure is highly variable throughout the country and largely affects its erodibility.

The soil structure and water holding capacity can be improved by green manuring, whereas heavy manuring reduces the soil erodibility upto 5 times. Soil erodibility can also be reduced by developing vegetation cover, because root system of plants penetrates into the soil and binds its particles in proper place.

13. Wastage of water in Irrigation

Problem Solution

Pakistan has the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world. However, owing to the poor state of infrastructure, about two-thirds is lost due to poor transmission and seepage. This means that about 68 MAF is potentially usable water if the canal system is adequately repaired and maintained. Of the total sweet water availability of approximately 144 MAF, 97 percent is already used in agriculture. We have a situation where instead of improving farming methods to conserve water and increase productivity, agricultural landowners demand more water, only to maintain some of the lowest productivity rates in the world per unit of water and per unit of Area.

A new irrigation system called drip irrigation system has been introduced in many parts of the world. This not only saves water but also gives proper quantity of water according to the needs of plants.Pakistan needs to put serious thought into how it will provide adequate water for agriculture, industry, and human consumption in the face of rapidly dwindling reserves

14.Use of Agriculture Land for non agriculture

Problem Solution

They estimate that everyday approximately 500 acres (1 acre = 4,840 square yards) of farmland is taken out of agriculture by the expansion of settlements, roads, factories and many other non-agricultural activities in the country.Arable land is a basic and major resource for the production of human food. But it seems that the expansion of human population and human activities are reducing the availability of land, suitable for food production at an alarming rate. Expanding population demands more food on one side and devours agricultural land on the other side, which is a matter of great concern for everyone.

Legislation is the key to overcome this situation

15. Means of communication and mass media

Problem Solution

Because lack of guidance is the main reason of farmers backwardness. The communication gap between well qualified experts and simple farmers have not been bridged. Availability of these experts is not ensured in rural areas as they are reluctant to go there.

The only mean of communication in rural areas is T.V or radio so it is urgently needed on the part of these mass communication resources to air the programmes related to the new agricultural techniques and allied sciences. But these programmes should be telecast in regional or local languages

16. Defective Land Tenure System

Problem Solution

The land tenure system of Pakistan has creates a chain of intermediaries in between the state and the tenants. The system, instead of being conductive to agricultural development, stands in the way of its progress. Defective Land Tenure System Defective land tenure system is also responsible for low yield per acre in agricultural sector. Landlords and feudal-lords live in posh urban areas while tenants and peasants have no or less incentive for their hard work. So, the productivity in agricultural sector remains low.

Revamping the situation

17.Lack of Organized Marketing/ regulated marketing’s

 

Problem Solution

The marketing facilities for agricultural products in Pakistan are still far from satisfactory level. Our cultivators cannot get just prices for their produce due to defective marketing organization. Moreover the chain of middlemen between the producers and ultimate consumers take a heavy share of their produce .Thus the cultivators do not take much real interest in increasing their product too. Agricultural marketing still continues to be in a bad shape in rural Pakistan . In the absence of sound marketing facilities, the farmers have to depend upon local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm produce which is sold at throw-away price

Exploit new opportunities to participate in the production and marketing of high-value livestock products, fruits and vegetables, and fishery. Discouragment of middlemen interference. Role of middlemen should be discouraged so as to encourage the farming community at the grass root level. In this way the low level farmer will get the best price and the economic condition of the country will improve

18. Lack of modern machineries in Agriculture

Problem Solution

Lack of Agriculture Machineries Farm Mechanization is necessary to remove the problem to agriculture sector. Sowing, cultivation and harvesting of crops through agriculture machineries. Increase the productive quality and quantity

19. Poor Agriculture Research and Weak Agriculture Extension Services

Problem Solution

Promoting new technologies and reforming agricultural research and extension: AE and ARS services have declined over time due to chronic underfunding of infrastructure and operations, no replacement of aging researchers or broad access to state-of-the-art technologies. Research now has little to provide beyond the time-worn packages of the past. Public extension services are struggling and offer little new knowledge to farmers. There is too little connection between research and extension, or between these services and the private sector.Non cooperation between modern research and extension. Flow of latest research to the farmer is not immediate mainly due to the non cooperation of the extension and research departments working separately in Pakistan .

Major reform and strengthening of Pakistan;s agricultural research and extension systems is one of the most important needs for agricultural growthThe agriculture research has to be demand driven. Scientists must develop new cotton and tobacco varieties to improve productivity.  The certified seed based on research may be made available to farmers without passing through bureautic channels.Linkages to be developed in AE , ARS and AU.

20. Lack of Agro based Industries

Problem Solution

Lack of Agrobased Industries.No specific governmen t policy for the promotion and development of agrib i us nesses

Agrobased industries like poultry fisheries dairy and livestock should establisj , these industries indirectly lead to improve the agriculture sector .Formulation of policies .

21. Poor means of transportation

Problem Solution

The agricultural activities in our country are performed in rural areas, but most of our villages have no road or railway links with our markets. So farmers have to face innumerable hardships to sell their products. Hence the farmers take very little interest in their profession and production suffers

The rural areas of the country must be provided with road and railway links with marketing centers and better means of transport and communication should be provided

22. Concession in Agriculture Taxation

Problem Solution

Less concession inTaxes Government should give tax concession to import of agriculture technologies to enhance process of farm mechanization Government should levy single entry tax instead of levying multiple entry taxes either directly or indirectly for the transactions and activities that are involved in agricultural marketing such as transportation, processing, grading etc., as it would benefit both farmers and consumers directly.

23.Less Education among the Farmers

Problem s Solution

Illiteracy and Ill-health Most of the farmers, laborers and tenants in our country are illiterate. They are untrained and inefficient to boost up the agricultural productivity. On the other side, the health of our farmers is improper due to rural backwardness. Literacy rate is only 57.7 % in Pakistan. Economic Survey of Pakistan shows that literacy remains higher in urban areas (73.2 percent) than in rural areas (49.2 percent).

Our farmers are illiterate and ill trained so their efficiencies are poor. Government should start special education programme for farmers and provide them training about farming.

24.Low Price of Agriculture Produce

Problem Solution

Sometimes our farmers receive low prices of their crops . There is no proper effective policies of government

Government should set reasonable prices of agriculture produce in order to encourage farming communities . stabilization of agricultural prices is a short term measure to protect the farmer from circumstances beyond his control. It is not, and should not be a subsidy to defective production. In the long run production and marketing must be improved if our commodities are to compete in the world market. Prices could then be stabilized at the price level prevailing in the world market without causing a drain on the national exchequer, and ensuring at the same time reasonable profit for the cultivato

25. Farmers litigations

Problem Solution

Litigation in Courts etc etc. There are frequent and continuous allegation among the farmer directly or indirectly in the court and other places , hence our farmers can not devote their times to agriculture.

The litigation may be resolved timely .

26. Slow Growth Allied Products

Problem Solution

Our country is in sufficient in fruits , milk poultry fisheries , livestock and forestry . As a result not only our industries such as dairy can not be developed

Integrated Farm management

27. Low cropping intensity

Problem Solution

LCI means the number of crops grown on a piece of land . At present we have low level of cropping intensity. Low Cropping Intensity Cropping intensity means the number of crops grown on a piece of land in one year. At the present stage of our development, there is low level of cropping intensity as compared to advanced countries. Cultivable area under double or multiple cropping is inadequate in Pakistan

Measures for increasing crop intensity .

28. Disasters leading to rural poverty

Problem Solution

Rural poverty has two characteristics: the poverty of rural human beings and the poverty of weather prone rural areas. The degradation of natural resource may be caused by drought or flood because of global warming or by modern farming methods which affect the land negatively, ultimately making rural people poor.

Preparedness to mitigate disaster

29. Small farmers with less Land holding

Problem Solution

Size of land holding in Pakistan is very small and has decreased over time. According to Agricultural Census, there are 5.1 million farms in the country and 93 per cent of these are small and marginal farms accounting for 60 per cent of the total cultivated area. The large farms are only 7 per cent of the total farms accounting for 40 per cent of the total cultivated area. There has been further subdivision of farms because of inheritance and transfer. Since land in agriculture production process is natural agent, therefore decreasing size of holding has detrimental effect on investment, farm productivity and farm income resulting in 52 per cent poor Pakistanis.

Cooperative Farming

30. Poor socio-economic condition of farmers

Problem Solution

Illiteracy, the root cause of farmers’ poor socioeconomic condition, should be tackled vigorously. Though the government is taking the initiative by adopting policies like universal education, a highly centralized bureaucracy with low accountability and inefficient use of public funds limits their impact on poverty.Consumption Oriented Our farmers have no proper records of their incomes and expenses. Mostly, they spend more when they have more due to illiteracy. A huge part of the farmer’s income is consumed on occasions of marriage, birth, death and several other rural ceremonies and festivals in Pakistan..

The small farmers whose farm income is small and family size is relatively large are generally constrained for want of funds to meet their farm input requirements like seed, fertilizer, pesticide, etc. To improve productivity and income of these tillers of the soil, who constitute more than three fourth of the farming community, appropriate measures should be taken on great priority basis for a country like Pakistan. Credit is also needed by the medium and large farmers in order to increase their productivity and for developmental purposes. To increase agricultural production, it is imperative to increase the level of use of agricultural inputs. However, the financial position of small farmers is such that they are not in a position to raise the level of inputs to the desired level without the availability of agricultural credit.

31. Lack of technical knowledge

Problem Solution

Lack of technical knowledge and awareness are also responsible for low productivity, adding to the problem of poverty among farmers.Adoption of modern agricultural practices and use of technology is inadequate, hampered by ignorance, high costs and impracticality in the case of small land holdings.

The screening of technology is important since all innovations are not relevant or attractive to all areas. It is important to screen them according to the geographical area and the local context of agriculture

32 . Absence of distribution net work for quality seed

Problem Solution

Poor quality seed has a major effect on the germination as well as the overall vigor of the plant especially in the case of wheat which is considered as the staple food in Pakistan. Provincial Seed Corporations are intended to distribute the quality seed. Due to the limited level availability of certified seed, misguidance by many local seed distributors and low quality seed the agriculture sector is suffering from low production per unit area. Availability of poor quality seed is one of the major problems in modern agricultural context in Pakistan .

Government of Pakistan should take a strong initiative towards the marketing and commercialization of certified seed according to different area and local cropping scheme prevailing in that particular area. The federal seed certification authority should be given the authority to market the seed at the grass root level

33. Less use of Manures, Fertilizers and Biocides

Problem Solution

Pakistani Soils have been used for growing crops over thousands of years without caring much for replenishing. This has led to depletion and exhaustion of soils resulting in their low productivity. The average yields of almost all the crops are among t e lowest in the world. This is a serious problem which can be solved by using more manures and fertilizers

Optimum use of Manures , Fertilizers and allied products.

34. Inadequate storage facilities

Problem Solution

Storage facilities in the rural areas are either totally absent or grossly inadequate. Under such conditions the farmers are compelled to sell their produce immediately after the harvest at the prevailing market prices which are bound to be low. Such distress sale deprives the farmers of their legitimate income.

This colossal wastage can be avoided by developing scientific ware-housing facilities. The government has taken several steps to provide storage facilities.

35. Small and Fragmented Land Holdings

Problem Solution

The pressure of increasing population and the practice of dividing land equally among the heirs has caused excessive sub divisions of farm holdings. Consequently, the holdings are small and fragmented. The small size of holdings makes farming activity uneconomical and leads to social tension, violence and discontentment.

Reconsolidation

36.Depleted Soils:

Problem Solution

Pakistani soils have been used for growing crops for thousands of years which have resulted in the depletion of soil fertility. With deforestation the sources of maintaining natural fertility of soil has been drying out. Lack of material resources and ignorance of scientific knowledge have further depleted the soils of the natural fertility. Earlier only animal waste was enough to maintain soil fertility.

Use of organic manures

37. Farm Implements

Problem Solution

Although some mechanization of farming has taken place in some parts of the country, most of the farmers are poor and do not have enough resources to purchase modern farm implements and tools. This hampers the development of agriculture.Globally one tractor was used to plough 25-40 hectares of land whereas in Pakistan one tractor was used to plough 400-500 hectares, this practice reduced the life of the machine, he said. Farmers who owned 25-40 hectares of land had no access to farm machinery or soft loans to procure crucial agricultural inputs for various main crops, he added.

Introduction of new agricultureimpliments

38. Natural calamities

Problem Solution

Natural Calamities Labour is in the hand of mankind but its result is in the hands of ALLAH in agriculture sector. So, growth of agriculture is dominated by nature. In case if there is too much rain, reduction in the productivity. There is 20% reduction in productivity due to unnecessary rain and unfavorable climatic situations in Pakistan.

We Can Pray for good will

39. Gender and Agriculture

Problem Solution

Gender, that is socially constructed relations between men and women. The development of Pakistan is not possible without the development of Pakistani rural women as they contribute 60 per cent human resource in agriculture sector. “They feed entire nation and because of them we do not die of starvation, The contribution of women to agricultural and food production is clearly significant. However, it is impossible to verify empirically the share produced by women because agriculture is usually a venture among household members and involves a range of resources and inputs that cannot be readily assigned by gender.

Women should be involved in agriculture policies and access to land , accurate, current, regionally specific information and analysis is necessary for good gender-aware ness If we are to better recognize women as integral to sustainabledevelopment, it is critical to ensure gender balance in AKST decision-making at all levels and provide mechanisms to hold AKST organizations accountable for progress in the above areas.gricultural policy makingAKST [Agricultural Knowledge Science and Technology] 

40. Promotion of ecological zone based cropping system

Problem Solution

There is no ecological zone based cropping system

Promotion of ecological zone based cropping system. Government is now taking interest in Zone strategies and initially declared Potohar as Olive Zone, Cholistan as Grape Zone and Layyah/Bakhar as Citrus Zone .This will increase the overall productivity per unit area mainly due to the suitability of the environment related to the overall production.

41. Crop insurance policy for small land holders.

Problem Solution

There is no Crop insurance policy for small land holders.

Crop insurance should be provided to the small land holders for decreasing poverty and improving the socioeconomic status of farmer. The crop insurance policy is very important as it will give a security to the farmer but this policy will fail if the government fails to subsidize the rates of fertilizers and pesticides.

42.Deforestation

Problem Solution

Depletion of forests. Area of forest is decreasing due to due to an annual (2011-12) contribution of more than 92,000 Cubic meters (Government of Pakistan, 2012). Due to increase in the deforestation, there has been a progressive increase in the process of Erosion and flood losses are expected to increase in the coming months

Reforestation. Special community based incentives should be offered in effort to induce reforestation movement in the country. Mass forestation campaigns should be launched at national level involving the academia and the farming community. Biannual farming campaigns and incentives for the perennial farmers will increase the forest area in Pakistan. This will be helpful in longer term and in the province of Sindh to avoid the threat of expected floods all over the country in the coming decade.

43.Loadshedding and energy crisis

Problem Solution

Long duration load shedding. Load shedding is counted among some of serious threats to agriculture. There is an increasing loads heeding with the passage of time. More than 1,075,073 tube wells are irrigating the land and due to the serious electricity short fall, these fail to work in an optimum manner. Diesel is an alternate to run these tube wells but the higher diesel prices have posed another problem to the farmers of the country. Unannounced load shedding can disturb the sowing of different crops .

Measure to promote alternate source of energy such as solar and biodiesel

44. Use of adulterated or expired insecticides/ fertilizers

Problem Solution

Although government has claimed that it has controlled the pesticide / fertilizers adulteration and decreased it to 1% but there is a continuous trend of using low quality insecticides. Poor quality insecticides/ fertilizers affect the environment and also induce some of the serious health issues due to their prolonged residual effects .Moreover, during the peak season there has been a shortage of the good quality insecticides/ fertilizers and the market is dominated by the business of the adulterated or expired insecticides which in turn are detrimental for the overall economic progress and the sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.

Implementation of Acts and Ordinances

45. High Cost of Agriculture inputs

Problem Solution

High price of fertilizers and monopoly of companies. High prices of the fertilizers are mainly due to the increase in the prices of the natural gas and monopoly of the fertilizer companies working in Pakistan. Increased General Sales Tax on the natural gas is also one of the reasons for this hike in the prices . The increase in the gas prices has a direct effect on the per bag price of every fertilizer especially urea which is being deliberately used in the agricultural sector Due to the increase in the prices of these fertilizers an average farmer fails to give his best on the farm and in turn low yield cause the financial pressure and other problems due to high fuel costs for the fertilizer sector, fertilizer prices have surged significantly, which contributed to declining agricultural production.

“There is an urgent need of bringing down the input costs for the agricultural sector as high prices are discouraging the use of fertilizers, pesticides and quality seeds in optimal quantity, thus negatively impacting per acre yield.” In KPK Farm services centers to be strengthened

46. Poor Pest warning and quarantine System

Problem Solution

Reforms of pest warning and quarantine department. As there is a definite impact of overuse of low quality pesticides on environment and human health , so there is a need to reform the pest warning and quarantine department by increasing the authorities above any of the political influences.

These reforms should cover all levels up to the Village level so as to facilitate the small farmers

47. Climate change and Agriculture Problem Solution

Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security.

Increase investment in Agriculture .Make agricultural adaptation a key agenda point within the international climate negotiation process. Recognize that enhanced food security and climate change adaptation go hand in hand. Support community-based adaptation strategies.

48. Lack of IT opportunity

Problem Solution

Lack of IT opportunity Promotion of Agriculture through E Agri IT can enable immediate diagnostic information for farmers by providing timely weather trends that affect planting and harvesting schedules. Farmers can also receive immediate answers from agricultural specialists related to crop or animal disease identification or eradicationE Agri provides the desperately needed support services that assist farmers in making wise decisions about what crop to grow, how to grow it, how to support and harvest it, and finally how to sell it.