ISLAMABAD, October 28, 2026: The Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) has conducted field research with farmers in Bhera, Sargodha district, to assess digital agriculture services and identify practical challenges faced by users, as part of efforts to develop more accessible and farmer-friendly government services.
The exercise was carried out by PDA’s Citizen Experience (CX) team, which engaged directly with farming communities to understand their needs and evaluate how existing digital platforms perform under real-world conditions.
The initiative forms part of PDA’s broader mandate under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2025, which focuses on advancing digital transformation and developing the National Digital Masterplan.
According to the authority, the research aims to ensure that digital agricultural services are designed around farmers’ requirements rather than relying solely on centrally developed systems.
Farmers test digital agriculture platforms
During the field visit, the PDA team interacted with farmers to identify challenges associated with digital agricultural services and assess potential improvements.
Researchers observed farmers using the Mera Kissan and e-Zarkhaiz portals to evaluate their accessibility, usability and effectiveness.
The exercise focused on understanding how farmers navigate digital processes, identifying difficulties encountered during service delivery and determining where improvements may be required.
According to PDA, direct interaction with farmers revealed practical issues that conventional desk-based research might not have identified.
The findings will help the authority understand barriers to digital service adoption and develop solutions that respond to the needs of agricultural communities.
Citizen feedback to shape digital masterplan
PDA said citizen experience was a central component of its responsibilities under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2025.
Alongside leading national digital transformation initiatives, the authority is working to redesign public services to make them more accessible, efficient and responsive to citizens.
The authority maintained that involving farmers during the development process would help ensure that digital agriculture services address actual challenges faced by their intended users.
Rather than introducing centrally designed platforms without consulting beneficiaries, PDA intends to incorporate feedback from farming communities directly into the agriculture component of the National Digital Masterplan.
This approach is expected to improve the usability of digital platforms and encourage greater adoption among farmers.
Field research to expand to Gujranwala
Following the Bhera visit, PDA’s Citizen Experience team will travel to Gujranwala to conduct similar research with local farming communities.
The authority plans to continue the exercise in other districts to gather broader insights into farmers’ experiences with digital agricultural services.
Findings from Bhera, Gujranwala and subsequent field visits will be documented and used to refine identified agriculture-sector use cases and related digital services.
PDA said the research would support the development of practical, citizen-focused digital solutions that improve access to government services and respond to the needs of Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
The initiative reflects the authority’s efforts to place citizens at the centre of public service design while advancing the country’s digital transformation agenda.