Agriculture in Pakistan

Introduction:

Economic Structure:

Agriculture

Manufacturing

Others (Including services and trade)

Major crops of Pakistan:

Wheat

Rice

Maize

Grams

Pulses

Cotton

Sugar Cane

Tobacco

Mustard

Agricultural Sector of Pakistan:

Total area: 79.6 million hectares

Population depends: 70%

Labor force employment: 44%

Share in GDP: 26%

Total cultivated land area: 22 million hectares

Total exports: 80%

Agriculture as Mainstay of Pakistan economy.

Provides foods and nutrition.

Provides raw material.

Provides base for foreign trade and exchange

Provides market for industrial outputs.

Agriculture Contribution to GDP (%):

Year Wise Yield Comparison:

Crop Yield:

Pakistan has good, abundant sunshine and excellent farmers.

Yet crop yield per ha and cubic meter is much lower than international benchmarks.

Wheat Yeild comparison with foreign countries:

Food Exports:

Pakistan is one of the world’s largest producers and suppliers of the following according

to the Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations and given here with

ranking:

Chickpea (2nd)

Apricot (4th)

Cotton (4th)

Sugarcane (4th)

Milk (5th)

Onion (5th)

Date Palm (6th)

Mango (7th)

Rice (8th)

Wheat (9th)

Oranges(10th

)

Pakistan ranks twentieth worldwide in farm output.

Irrigation:

Pakistan’s has one of the largest irrigation systems in the

world.

Pakistan irrigates three times more acres than Russia

Indus River and its tributaries are capable of watering

over 16 million hectares.

Includes dams, barrages, headwork, canals, and

distribution channels.

Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

World growth rates of agriculture:

Problems in Agriculture:

Limited cultivated area:

Total area of Pakistan 79.6 million acre

23.5% under use

About 8-9 million area is un cultivated

Low Yield

Low per acre yield in major crops

Like wheat, rice and cotton

Other countries get more because of skillful labor and

use of technology

Lack of facilities:

Rural infrastructure is not good

Lack of education

Lack of transport

Improper storage

Poor road structure

Far away markets availability

Old methods of farming:

Traditional methods

Old implements

Low yield

But now, modern methods are taking place.

Traditional methods cannot compete with modern

one.

Farmers poor conditions:

Financial crises of farmers

No money available for investment

Bank debts

Do not get much prize from crops

Far away from market

Crop intensity:

Crop intensity is lower

The number of crops grown on piece of land is

known as crop intensity

Low crop intensity than developed countries

Waterlogging and salinity:

It causes when water-table is above 1.5 meter

Salts on surface

Stagnant water

Low plant growth

million acre land is affected

Poor irrigation system:

No proper canals, dams and barrages

Drought may happen

Water storage because of more rainfall

Steeling of water from canals

No proper division of water

Low quality chemicals:

Low quality fertilizers

Poor quality pesticides and other chemicals

Less availability of fertilizers to small farmers

Unavailability of funds:

Government is very poor

Have not money to spend on agriculture

Farmers are not financially strong

Improper loan system

Improper crop rotation:

No crop rotation is done

No fertility is maintained

No nutrients enrich soil is maintained

Continuous cultivation damage the soil

Unavailability of seeds:

Lack of seed industries

Lack of seed production

Improper seed quality

Large money is spend on that industry

Other problems:

Various plant diseases

Natural calamities

Scarcity of (HYV) Seeds

Underutilization of land

Solutions of problems:

Feudalism should be abolished:

Lands should be allotted to poor farmers. This will enhance the productivity and

per acre yield of all the crops in Pakistan.

Taxes should be levied on agricultural income but not without devising limit of

land holding. Otherwise it would directly affect poor farmers.

Federal seed certification and federal seed registration:

Should take responsible steps in approving seeds as it has already approved 36

new kinds of seeds.

Specially, those seeds should be banned which can create pest problem in near

future. These seeds are of cotton mainly.

International seed makers are providing those seeds which are not successful in

our country as these seeds are not tested on our soil.

A new agricultural policy:

A new agricultural policy must be framed in which following steps should be

focused on.

Small farmer must be focused - Consumer friendly policy must be projected.

Productivity enhancement program must be constituted to adjust and support

prices.

Different agricultural zones should be introduced:

As Multan in famous for its mangoes and citrus fruits so it must be made mango,

citrus zone by which perishable products should be exported.

This would enhance agro based industry and increase foreign reserves.

Pakistan agricultural storage & Services Corporation needs to take steps in this

regard.

Latest machinery should be provided to the farmers:

To increase the per acre yield, the availability of equipment should be on easy

installments so that the farmers can avoid the burden of loans.

If possible subsidy should be given by the government of modern machinery.

Modern techniques of irrigation can solve the problems of irrigation in Pakistan.

This includes drip irrigation and sprinkle irrigation methods. By using this

technique the farmers can save a huge sum of money which he pays for irrigation

through tube wells and tractors.

Dams should be constructed:

More dams should be constructed on Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers. This will

enhance the storage capacity of water and reduce the per acre cost of all the crops.

This step will also reduce the salinity chances of the lands as less tube well water

will be flooded to the lands which cause salinity.