Daska cements itself as agricultural equipment hub.

DASKA -- Agricultural equipment manufactured in Daska is sold across all provinces and also exported to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Afghanistan and other countries.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Daska Engineering and Industrial Association President Asif Bajwa and Senior Vice President Usman Iqbal Mughal said that they were trying to introduce Pakistan to the global agricultural market through their products. They added that the agricultural implement industry in Daska was among the oldest, which had also been credited with developing the first diesel engine after London.

A local company has developed a state-of-the-art machine that costs around Rs1 million and simultaneously works as a plough, harrow, disc harrow, seed drill machine and leveler. It is capable of preparing and sowing about eight acres of land daily.

Local farmer Qazi Naeemullah said the machine was not only environmental friendly, but also capable of performing six different roles simultaneously. This saves both time and money, as the preparation of one acre of land through conventional means consumes 22 litres of diesel. The seeder machine consumes only nine litres of diesel, he added.

Moreover, there is no need to burn crop residue, since the seeder breaks down the residue into green manure, which protects wildlife and reduces smog.

Similarly, a zero tillage seed drill machine, which has a market price of Rs400,000, drills seeds and crop residue without...