Qazi Naeem: the man setting precedent with modernized farming in Gujranwala

In 2014, Qazi Naeem was selected by USAID’s World Learning Program for training on Controlled Greenhouse Farming for off-season vegetables to be conducted in Holland. The techniques he learned included the use of simple high tunnels, or plastic covered tunnels.

This practices sees vegetables grown under plastic tunnels, which increases cropping intensity, and provides high quality vegetables, whilst decreasing environmental hazards leading to increased incomes for producers.

Upon his return, Naeem started applying his learning to his own farm in Gujranwala. His enthusiasm and practical application back at home, won him another opportunity to get trained, this time in Farm Water Management, for which he went to America in 2015.

For Qazi Naeem, employing these techniques has enhanced profitability many fold. “Growing the same crop the year round, you are bound to hit peak rates two or three times” he shared.

Qazi Naeem is able to get a good price by marketing vegetables several weeks before the farmers doing traditional farming, and through his adoption of modernized farming techniques, he has become something of a local celebrity now. Under his guidance, these techniques are being applied by different farmers to almost 3000 hectares now.

He said: “I am delighted to help other farmers in the techniques that I’ve learnt’. Adding vegetable crops to a farmer’s rotation can help increase farmers’ income per unit area of land, and as well as to increase variety and food security.

For Qazi Naeem, the biggest joy lies in the fact that his eldest son is studying agricultural science by choice, and is all set to take on his father’s business forward the way Qazi did years ago. He said “Today, when I speak to my son alongside other aspiring young farmers, I hear my father’s guiding voice in my ears as he spoke to me years and years ago.”