here is a clear need in Sindh for a strategy to double the farmer’s incomes. Agriculture in Sindh has long faced challenges. Sometimes those have been due to a lack of proper planning for seasonal crops. Other issues include the growing water scarcity and shortages; the inability to provide water at tail reaches of the irrigation canals and challenges such as floods in barrage-sirrigated regions and droughts in arid regions. Rising soil salinity, more extreme weather events and squeezed household incomes are aggravating the problems faced by the people of Sindh.

The Sindhi farmers are also affected by decisions taken in other provinces with regard to agricultural planning, stock management and pricing. Sometimes these result in very low prices for the farm produce, to the point of squeezing the farmers’ margins. It rankles particularly when harvests elsewhere receive considerably higher rates.

Farmers in neighbouring countries are increasingly benefiting from new trends and better planning. However, practices in Sindh remain the same. Most farmers cannot make informed decisions on what they need to grow. Many are unaware of the current market trends and the factors that determine those. Instead most of the decisions are automatic: they grow what they have been growing: wheat, cotton, mustard, etc.

Progressive farmers, in contrast, are connected to global markets for climate finance. They receive significant rewards for agroforestry, use of renewable and wind energy in both arid and semi-arid as well as canal-irrigated agricultural regions. In many countries, farmers are going for carbon sequestration, regenerative practices and diversified value chains.

There is a pressing need in Sindh today to think about such strategies to attain higher productivity, develop value-added enterprises and income streams to support climate-resilient initiatives to both earn and serve. There are many flaws in Sindh’s agricultural system. Soil testing and crop rotation, vertical farming, solarised tube wells, carbon credits and fruit-tree planning are still treated like other-world talk. Every inch of agricultural land can produce value and contribute to the farmer’s income.

The time is right; we need to think about multiple income streams to sustain our agriculture, using innovative ideas to reduce climate risk and generate more income. The farmers who have always relied on a single crop can explore options like horizontal and vertical farming. There is a need also to diversify products into high-value horticulture, poultry, agroforestry and on-farm processing to reduce risk and increase year-round cash flow. Every foot in an acre should be utilised effectively; every income-generating aspect should be understood.

The Agriculture Department has to get its act together. It must be the farmers’ guide and counsellor on markets as well as technology. Pilot projects should be undertaken to demonstrate improved farming practices and replicated. Many farmers do not know about affordable soil test kits, simple drip units, solar pumps and commercial vertical/ hydroponic models and where those are available.

Many small farmers and landlords are still following obsolete practices; they work from dawn to dusk without making much profit. If current best practices are adopted the land will produce much more. Some good models have been developed in Tando Allahyar. They need to be adopted in other districts.

In many areas in Umerkot, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar, access to proven agricultural inputs and agronomy advice is limited at best. Many landlords and small farmers lack reliable soil testing, extension support and access to locally adapted models that have been proven elsewhere. Fresh produce often leaves the farm with no processing (drying, grading, packaging), causing loss of value for perishable items.

Sindh’s dream of doubling agricultural income is not only about expanding land or increasing hard labour; it is about how land, water, folk knowledge and markets can be combined to achieve the goal.

A national carbon policy and provincial water projects are already in place, along with on-ground mechanisms that allow smallholders to participate in carbon markets. Despite their potential, parts of Sindh lack the expertise required to benefit from those.

Things are changing nonetheless. Some organisations, such as Resources Future (a carbon credit project development company), are working in Sindh and elsewhere to explore carbon market opportunities and to determine how farmers and local communities can benefit from this new mechanism. More organisations can join hands and encourage participation in mango farming and other policy-level initiatives for carbon markets, easier access to certification services and financial support to initiate this in Sindh.

Currently the prevalence of pH checks and soil tests is low. Many affordable kits are available. The landlords need to be aware of those and purchase them. This requires sensitisation. At the next level, there is a need to carefully plan and allocate water use.

Many farmers also need small loans or grants to buy solar pumps, compost equipment and vertical systems. The government and partner companies can lease land to expand vertical farming, thereby supporting the local economy.

The FAO has been advising Sindh’s farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices, diversify crops, utilise market insights, improve productivity, access climate-smart solutions and increase sustainable incomes.

Sindh’s dream of doubling agricultural incomes is not only about extending cropped area or increasing labour; it is about how land, water, folk knowledge and market awareness can be combined to achieve the goal. The Sindhi farmers tend to continue to rely on old ways, traditional methods and conventional practices.

There is a strong need for strategic planning aligned with current market demands. On even one-acre farms, farmers can have diverse crops and utilise every inch of the land productively. One-acre farms can support conventional crops, trees, integrated livestock, renewable energy and carbon value at the same time. The knowledge is available on YouTube. The farmers just need to develop an interest in doing something innovative.

It is time to learn from global experiences and practices. Small farmers can earn more and have multiple income channels—seasonal crops, horticulture, agroforestry, processing and the carbon sequester.

Karni Singh Sodha, son of MPA Rana Samir Singh, is a visionary with rich knowledge and wisdom. He has adapted Turkey’s innovative fog-based agriculture model and is adapting modern practices to support local farmers, helping them increase productivity and achieve better incomes through climate-smart, high-value, and efficient farming techniques in Rana Jagir, Umerkot.

One such example is in Umerkot. Dr Attaulah Khan, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council director general, has introduced a successful model of saline agriculture in arid regions using grafting, date palms, drip irrigation, effective water use and other salt-tolerant crops. This initiative supports cultivating arid land productively, helping farmers generate double income through climate-resilient, high-value crops.

Bhoom Singh Sodha, an innovative landlord from the Thakur community who believes in cultivating every acre and utilising every inch efficiently, focuses on ground preparation, pre-planning and crop rotation. He has now achieved a milestone by registering the Indus Agricultural Foundation in Umerkot under the Societies Act.

Landlords across Sindh need to form similar partnerships to. Successful local models—whether mango-based agroforestry, solar irrigation or vertical vegetable units—should be scaled acre by acre. We need to think of agriculture as an enterprise ecosystem. Linking soil health, water efficiency, climate finance and market intelligence can support this dream.

The writer, based in Umerkot, has more than 13 years of experience in the development sector. He can be reached at [email protected]