Agriculture:

Introduction:
Agriculture is considered the backbone of Pakistan's economy, which relies heavily on its major
crops. Pakistan's principal natural resources are arable land and water. Agriculture accounts for
about 18.9% of Pakistan's GDP and employs about 42.3% of the labor force. The most
agricultural province is Punjab where wheat & cotton are the most grown. Mango orchards are
mostly found in Sindh and Punjab provinces, making it the world's fourth largest producer of
mangoes.
The magnanimity of the agricultural problems in Pakistan has undoubtedly crippled the
economy. In 1947, agriculture’s contribution of GDP was 53% and shrunken down to 21% last
year. Pakistan has great agricultural potential because of its alluvial soils. However, it is
producing almost 50% below its potential. Neighboring India and Bangladesh have shown
significant improvement in their agriculture sector unlike Pakistan. Where China is growing padi
crops in Gobi desert, Pakistan is still relying on a perennial canal system of irrigation. Let us
make an attempt to study the agricultural profile of Pakistan followed by a brief discussion on
problems in this sector.
Pakistan lies in a semi arid subtropical region. It is in the north east of the world; that is just
above the tropic of cancer i.e. 23.5oN. Its dimensions are 240 30’ N – 370 N and 610 E – 750 E
approximately. Pakistan has a 1046 km coastline in the south that impacts its climate and
agriculture.
Almost 90% to 97% of showers in Pakistan are received during the summer monsoon season.
Very few showers are received during winters. Droughts and floods formulate a permanent
feature of the area. Pakistan receives seasonal showers due to which most of the agricultural
land must be irrigated and agricultural output is largely affected by the climatic variations and
global warming.
Total land area of Pakistan is 96.9% and 3.1% is constituted of water bodies. Total cropped area
of Pakistan is 23.04 million hectares. 90% of the land is irrigated and only the remaining 10% is
rain fed. In Pakistan, Intensive Subsistence Farming is largely practiced Use of fertilizers and
pesticides; and techniques of crop rotation are practiced widely in order to have larger yield.
Among major crops of the country there is wet padi and wheat. Cash crops include cotton,
sugarcane, maize, jute, tobacco, citrus fruits, mangoes etc. Almost 44% of the labor is involved
in it and almost 64.5% of the population is still rural in nature. Due to 2022 floods, the agriculture
sector overall showed negative growth.
Main points of importance of agriculture for Pakistan economy:
1. Source of employment:
Pakistan as a developing economy the employment on a consistent level has much importance.
In this behalf agriculture has much importance because it provides employment directly or
indirectly to the public. Employment directly affects the GSP of the economy as well as the per
capita income. With the increase in per capita income, living standard increases, higher hygiene
facilities & better education facilities also increases. All these signs are the factors of economic
development. So we can say that agriculture has a great contribution toward economic
development by providing employment.
2. Food requirement:
Population growth rate of Pakistan is increasing rapidly. According to the UNDP human
development report, the population growth rate of Pakistan is 2% per year. So with the rapidly
increasing population the food requirement is also increasing rapidly. In this behalf agriculture is
the only major sector which is meeting the increasing requirement of food. It also reduces the
import of food from other economies. So we can say that the agriculture sector is playing a very
vital role in the development of Pakistan by providing food for a massive population as well as
supporting economic growth.

3. Contribution in exports:
Major exports or cash crops of Pakistan are wheat, rice and cotton. 9.8 billion Bales of cotton
are produced per year. Rice crop produces 4.3 million tons per year. These agricultural
commodities are exported to various countries for foreign exchange. This foreign exchange is
utilized for the import of industrial or technological equipment such as machinery or
automobiles. Further this foreign exchange is utilized to improve the infrastructure of the
economy or for improving the other sectors of the economy like education, health and
investments.

4. Raw material for industries:

Industries have great importance for the development of any country specially for developing
economies like Pakistan. Industries need raw material to produce finished goods. In Pakistan
agriculture provides raw material to industries. Cotton is a very important agricultural production
which is also a major export of Pakistan. It is used as raw material in textile industries. The
production of these textile industries is exported to various countries against foreign exchange.
Livestock is also an agricultural sector. It also plays a very important role to export goods by
providing the raw material to various industries like sports goods industries and leather
industries. So in this way agriculture helps the Pakistan economy and its growth toward
development.

5. Infrastructural development:
Infrastructure plays a very important role in the development of any economy. It is fuel for
economic development. Well organized infrastructure is a key to development because of quick
means of transportation of agricultural goods or commodities (raw material or finished goods)
and communication. On distribution purpose of agricultural products good and quick means of
transportation are required this intends to improve the infrastructure rapidly. So agriculture plays
an important role in the development of transportation for the purpose of distribution of goods.

6. Increase in GDP level:

Agriculture has a huge contribution toward the GDP of the Pakistan economy. It contributes
about 25% of total GDP, which is larger than other sectors of Pakistan. Increase in GDP shows
the developing progress of the economy. It has played a very important role since independence
toward the GDP of Pakistan. Now agriculture is the 3rd largest sector contributing to GDP.
Livestock and fisheries are the huge sector of agriculture in order to provide employment.
Employment contributes to GDP, it is as with the increase in employment the per capita income
will increase which results in an increase in GDP rate of the economy.

7. Decreasing in rural poverty:

Agriculture sector has played a very important role in the reduction of rural poverty. From 1975
to 2000 the GDP growth rate of agriculture was about 4.1% per year. Green revolution
technology in irrigation, improved seeds and fertilizers played a very vital role to increase
agricultural production which resulted in an increase in GDP. Through this technology farmers
with land gain the opportunity to increase their production. So in this way arable lands became
cultivated lands and farmers got the market of agricultural products against some return.

8. Development of banking sector:

Agriculture has also contributed a great role toward the development of the banking sector. As
the government realizes the importance of agriculture, it takes steps to improve the productivity
of crops by providing credit facilities to the farmers at low interest rates. With utilizing these
credits farmers can produce more and more crops. For this purpose the government established
the ZTBL and other financial institutes for the provision of credit facilities. So in this way
development of the banking sector takes place.

9. Farm mechanization:
Introduction of farm mechanization in the agricultural sector has played a very effective role in
the development of the economy. The use of modern machinery in agricultural lands causes
more and higher quality production of crops. So the provision of raw material to the industries
increases. Due to increase in productivity level the export rate of major export crops is increased
which causes foreign exchange and economic development.

10. Use of Nanotechnology:

In the agricultural sector, the use of modern technology like nanotechnology has played a very
vital role in the development of the economy. This technology is used for producing the high
yielding variety with high quality products. High quality products result in a high rate of return to
the farmers and the per capita income of farmers increases. Increase in per capita income
shows the growth of the economy toward development.

Problems of Agriculture in Pakistan:

1. Irrigation issues
Quite unfortunately, the network of water channels existing in Pakistan has become redundant.
Perennial canal system of irrigation, when formed, was very efficient in the 1960's. But today,
Pakistan is deprived of the modern ways of irrigation that is drip and sprinkler irrigation. A huge
amount of water is lost due to seepage and evaporation. Moreover, due to the problem of
distribution of water in fields, farmers do not practice the standard water required in fields. Thus,
this leads to mismanagement of water.
2. Water issues
In Pakistan, construction of water reservoirs has become a matter of political tussle. Due to
which construction of dams has been in halt since the last major project of Tarbela. Indus Basin
Treaty 1960 has failed to stop India from constructing water reservoirs on the channels flowing
to Pakistan. However, Pakistan consistently failed to establish its viewpoint on international
forums. The present canal water is not effectively used in our irrigation system. 25% - 35%
losses of water are recorded out of total applied to fields. Out of 142 MAF, the total quantity of
water available to crops is only 42 MAF. Due to shortage of canal water farmers have to use
tube well water. This water is brackish and has higher concentration of different salts and
enhances the problem of soil salinity.

3. Deforestation
Less than 4% of land in Pakistan is forested and the rate of deforestation is around 3%. From
northern highlands to the coastline of Karachi, Pakistan has a diverse range of forests from
coniferous to mangroves respectively. However, deforestation is the result of increased and
unplanned urbanization. Therefore, expanding urban units grow at the cost of trees. This is not
only causing environmental hazards, but also accentuating the impacts of global warming.

4. Absence of Land Reforms

During Ayub’s era, first time land reforms were practiced. Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto introduced more
reforms in 1972. The Law Reforms Act 1977 was also enforced by Bhutto’s regime. The most
important change was that individual holdings, including shares in shamlat, if any, in excess of
100 acres of irrigated land or 200 acres of un-irrigated land. Furthermore, notwithstanding the
above, no land holding could be greater than an area equivalent to 8,000 PIU. However, these
laws were declared in contradiction to Islam and have ceased to be in effect since 1990. Thus,
absence of land reforms has always caused a lot of damage to the agricultural sector of
Pakistan.

5. Salinity and water logging

Due to excessive use of canal water, most cultivated lands have become victims of these two
dangerous diseases. Every year, salinity alone is turning about 100,000 acres of arable land into
marches and salt lands. Water-logging is no less injurious. About 25% of the irrigated area of
Pakistan is affected by water logging and salinity problems.

6. Lack of R&D and neglect in education & training of farmers

There are only five universities in Pakistan and around 15 research centers related to
agriculture. Research conducted, techniques taught and skills imparted in these institutions
rarely reach at the level of small farmers. Farmers need to know how to make optimum use of
land. How to use fertilizers and pesticides and what amount of water is exactly useful and
necessary for any crop. Techniques to fight water logging, old irrigation systems and low yield
must also be learnt. For instance, if you take the example of using fertilizers in Pakistan, per
hectare usage of NPK is 170 kg, but the recommended is 300 kg per hectare. Hence, the
fertilizer application problem is poor nutrition application and incorrect fertilizer case. Lack of
management on the part of farmers is a huge problem.

7. International compulsions & inconsistent government policies

Pakistan fell back into the clutches of the IMF after the change of regime back in 2008. Since
then the IMF has told Pakistan to reduce agricultural subsidies and impose agriculture tax.
Therefore, Pakistan fails to practice a long term policy whether of flexi loans, subsidies or of
agriculture tax. Moreover, Pakistan is a WTO signatory as well; therefore, she has to follow
those compulsions as well. In the wake of these challenges of international nature, farmers of
Pakistan that are illiterate, less equipped, under trained and technologically poor can only rely
on policies of the government to protect and grow them. Therefore, weak and inconsistent
policies of consecutive governments in Pakistan have caused serious problems to Pakistan’s
agriculture sector.

8. Lack of accountability
The marketing facilities for agricultural products in Pakistan are still far from satisfactory. Our
cultivators can not get just prices for their produce due to defective marketing organization.
Moreover, the chain of middle men between the producers and ultimate consumers take a
heavy share of their produce .Thus the cultivators do not take much real interest in increasing
their product too. Hoarding and smuggling has become a culture. Creating farce crisis and
causing price hike has become a routine matter. That benefits only middle men; both producer
and consumer suffer badly due to this. Lack of proper check and balance and accountability is a
fundamental feature of lack of good governance in Pakistan. This is also affecting the agriculture
sector as well.

9. Infrastructural problems
The agricultural activities are to be performed in rural areas, but most villages in Pakistan have
no road or railway links with markets. So, farmers have to face innumerable hardships to sell
their products. Pakistan is also facing grain storage problems at large scale throughout the
country. The people often store their grains in godowns, which cause time to time damage to the
seed. Thus, hundreds of thousands of tons of crops have to be stored in temporary facilities that
afforded inadequate protection and pilferage. The hazards may occur because of improper
ventilation, lack of control over temperature and humidity, high moisture content in seeds, lack of
control over rain due to broken walls, floors and ceilings, spoil and un-cleaned godowns, lack of
spray and fumigation etc. That results in an increased number of dormant seeds, sprouting and
rotting, increase of insect damage and bird contamination.

Steps Taken by government:

“Pakistani Government Launches Agricultural Development Program”
The government of Pakistan has announced a new national action plan to improve yields
by modernizing its agricultural sector.New technology in the fields, processing facilities and
aquaculture will be deployed to strengthen the related production chains.
“There is a need to approach communities that are most affected due to climate change…
Water scarcity lies in poor water governance in Pakistan.” Imran Khalid, director of governance
and policy, World Wildlife Fund Pakistan

Mechanization for harvesting and post-harvesting processes will also be provided for by
the plan, which will include funds for germplasm resources and fishery science and promote
trade and cooperation in agriculture.According to the APP local news agency, the plan includes
establishing foot-and-mouth disease-free zones, an intervention to improve livestock health.The
official document cited by the local sources falls short of detailing the amount of funds destined
for the plan’s specific actions.Instead, it states that expected results for the agricultural sector in
the next fiscal year should reach almost 4 percent growth compared to the previous year.

However, these results depend on a full recovery of cotton and wheat production and
the availability of agrochemical products and seeds. Water scarcity is also cited as a potential
drawback for yields.Among the goals of the plan is to reduce costly food imports. According to
ProPakistani News, the country is expected to import €8.7 billion in food products by the end of
the current fiscal year. Currently, its foreign exchange reserves have dropped to €9.3 billion.
Last year, Pakistan reported food imports of €8 billion.One of the biggest concerns for the
country’s food production capacity comes from extreme weather events.Pakistan has been
suffering a prolonged drought, aggravated by a record-breaking heatwave, which brought many
areas of the country over 50 ºC.Dozens of people died from excessive heat, and massive
wildfires are sweeping across large areas.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has warned that such events are
triggering food and energy shortages, which could impact Pakistan and India, affecting more
than one billion people.“Extreme heat has major repercussions for the agricultural sector,” said
Sumalee Khosla, UNEP’s climate change adaptation finance expert. “Climate-related heat
stress will increase drought and exacerbate water scarcity for irrigation.”“This impacts farming
communities and potentially creates further food security issues in affected countries,” she
added.

In a workshop held in Islamabad, Pakistani officials and religious representatives agreed

on the urgency to act against water scarcity.The goal of the workshop was to identify areas of
cooperation among different social, institutional and economic actors to reduce water waste and
improve infrastructure. One of the most significant issues is the availability of clean drinking
water.According to Imran Khalid, director of governance and policy at the local branch of the
World Wildlife Fund, “only one percent of wastewater is treated in Pakistan.”“There is a need to
approach communities that are most affected due to climate change,” he added. “We have to
learn from the communities facing issues in real-time. We have to rely on indigenous practices
in rural areas. Water scarcity lies in poor water governance in Pakistan.”

Recommendations for improvement in agriculture:

● A new Agricultural policy must be framed in which following steps should be
focused on.
● Small farmers must be focused. The major problems of small farmers should be
solved first.
● Consumer friendly policy must be projected.
● Productivity enhancement programs 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
● Pakistan Agricultural storage & Services Corporation needs to take steps in this
regard.
● Corporate farming like giving lands to Multinational companies like Nestle is also a
good idea that will also help those who own a large area of fertile land but can’t
manage it.
● Surplus vegetables and fruits must be exported immediately.
● This will also help in commercializing agriculture and farmers will be able to earn
more revenue.
● Latest machinery should be provided to the farmers to increase the per acre yield.
This provision should be on easy installments to facilitate the farmers.
● Modern techniques of irrigation can solve the problems of irrigation in Pakistan. This
includes drip irrigation and sprinkler 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.
● More dams should be constructed on the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers. This
will enhance the storage capacity of water for irrigation purposes.