By Raza Khan ISLAMABAD, June 02 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistani farmers need to modify their rice production methods to ensure substantially and higher productivity by using fewer resources and preserving the environment, experts said. While speaking at a seminar titled “Importance of Sustainable Rice Platform for the Sustainability of Rice”, experts said that it was not possible to sustain rice production in Pakistan with current cultivation practices. Dr. Masood Arshad, Director at World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), said that lack of research and improper use of resources such as water, pesticides and labour results in low production of rice. “Farmers need to make rice production eco-friendly using modern technologies,” Dr. Masood said. He added that rice is not only second largest source of food for the people in Pakistan but also a source of earning for thousands of families. “Pakistan exports a significant quantity of rice,” he said, adding that the rice exports during 2021-22 have already crossed $2 billion mark. He said Basmati rice has become a trademark for Pakistan globally. Dr. Masood said that farmers need to be educated about resource management while growing rice crop. “The cost of rice production can be reduced significantly,” he maintained. Dr. Abid Majeed, Research Officer at National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), said that the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation has 46 requirements that need technical knowledge and skills to understand, making it difficult for smallholder farmers to adopt the standard without technical support. He said that 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water is consumed in Pakistan to produce one kilogram of rice. He said that underground water level was gradually falling in Pakistan due to the impacts of climate change. “Less water will be available for rice cultivation after few years,” the NARC official said, adding that farmers should opt for varieties of rice which are sustainable in less water. Dr. Abid informed that paddy fields soils have been exhausted by continuous cultivation of rice and wheat and have become dull. To improve the physical health of soil, green manuring (guara or cowpeas) or the inclusion of legumes in between rice and wheat crops is advisable, he informed. Similarly, he said, the incorporation of rice and wheat straw (instead of burning) in soil can also help in increasing the organic matter of the soil. “The incorporation of farmyard manures (cow and buffalo dungs and poultry feces) into the soil also helps in improving soil health by increasing the organic matter,” Dr. Abid informed. Syed Shahnawaz Ali, Country Director of Oxfam in Pakistan, said that a comprehensive campaign is required to educate the farmers about the efficient use of resources for rice cultivation. “The government and private sector, including rice exporters, should join hands to educate the farmers,” he said. The Oxfam’s country director said that Pakistan needs to sustain its rice production and exports not only to fetch exchange reserves, but to feed its people and the farmers. He added that to sustain the rice production, transformation in production system is compulsory. The SRP is a multi-stakeholder platform, co-convened by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the International Rice Research Institute, to promote resource efficiency and sustainable trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the global rice sector.