By Muhammad Soban ISLAMABAD, April 21 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan’s agriculture sector has started benefiting from Chinese drone technology to boost crop productivity. As one of the largest sources of foreign exchange earnings, the agriculture sector employs 38.5% of the country's labour force and contributes 19.2% to the GDP. Up till now, the agriculture sector largely applies traditional and outdated farming methods, which lead to a low level of production at increased costs. However, innovation and technological solutions, such as the use of drones, are being introduced to enhance production and boost farmer incomes. According to an estimate, Pakistani farmers can save approximately $1.3 billion annually by using drones to increase crop yields and reduce input costs. However, the use of drones in Pakistan is still limited since it is a sensitive issue because of national security. With the establishment of the Civil Drone Authority, it is hoped that drones’ production would increase and their use would kick off soon. Currently, Sapphire Fibres Limited, a company engaged in manufacturing and sales of yarn, fabrics and garments, has started a project to use drones in spraying crops with pesticides in South Punjab. The firm is importing drones from China and providing the farmers with technical support and training to use them. Fresh graduates with academic backgrounds in agriculture are being trained to utilise drone technology in agriculture. Talking to WealthPK, Khalid Hamza, a graduate working on this project, said that the project was started on a limited scale as the technology was new and costly. “As most of the farmers are poor and unfamiliar with drone technology and its use, only a handful of high-earning farmers are showing interest in adopting the technology.” “A drone costs about Rs3 to Rs3.5 million,” he said, adding that the drones were being used for spraying pesticides on crops. He further said that there was also a shortage of human resources to effectively implement the technology. Pakistan's agriculture sector could benefit from the use of drone technology. Other than spraying pesticides in fields, farmers and agronomists can use drone technology in precision farming, as it can help identify areas that require attention immediately. With drones, farmers can use state-of-the-art multispectral NDVI sensors to maximise their yields and maintain the health and quality of crops. By using drones in spraying pesticides and ploughing seeds, farmers can dramatically reduce their costs, eliminate human error and bring business intelligence by getting fast and specific information on each crop.