Agricultural Development in Pakistan

Agriculture in Pakistan is a thriving industry that has contributed to the development of the country’s economy. The agricultural sector has a diverse range of products, including food, fuel, textiles, and livestock. Agricultural production is measured in kilograms per hectare. It is a complex process that requires careful planning to ensure a high yield.

Agricultural production

Agricultural production in Pakistan is a major part of the economy. It provides critical inputs and markets for industrial products. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, agriculture accounts for around 39 percent of the country’s GDP. Agricultural production contributes to about half of the country’s export earnings. Cotton, a staple crop, accounts for nearly 27 percent of export earnings.

In 2000, agriculture accounted for 40 percent of the economy. However, the growth of the industrial and service sectors outpaced the positive growth of the agricultural sector, causing its share to drop to 20 percent. In 2010, the combined industrial and service sectors represented 80 percent of the GDP, a dramatic increase.

There is a need to improve the performance of the agricultural sector. As the sector employs nearly 42 percent of the labour force, improving its efficiency will improve the living conditions of many people and the competitiveness of the country’s industrial sector. Currently, around 50 percent of agricultural products in Pakistan are wasted. The lack of infrastructure and services can contribute to urbanisation and the displacement of rural farmers to urban areas.

Gender imbalance in agriculture has significant negative consequences. Historically, women did not have access to productive resources in agriculture, which limits their participation in the sector. In addition, the underlying socio-cultural framework of Pakistan is unequal. Women are still not treated as equals in the labour force in Pakistan, and this is reflected in a wide range of policies implemented by the government to increase agricultural productivity. Unfortunately, these policies are not backed by gender segregated data, and they do not enable the participation of women in agricultural production.

The agricultural sector in Pakistan faces a wide range of risks, including climate change. Changing rainfall patterns and temperatures reduce crop yields. Rising floods and droughts threaten the supply of food and fuel. Pakistan is a net energy importer, and electricity is unavailable in many parts of the country. The lack of infrastructure hinders the development of the agricultural sector, which makes the country highly vulnerable to climate change.

There have been many policy changes to the agricultural sector in Pakistan, including various allocations and price interventions. While major crops have declined in the past few years, the growth rate of livestock and minor crops has kept pace with the decline in major crop production. The country’s economy is still growing, but it is a slow growth rate.

Land reform

Land reform is essential for Pakistan’s agricultural sector. The country’s agricultural system is broken, and most rural Pakistanis do not benefit from government subsidies. The lack of sustainable livelihoods traps the population in extreme poverty. There is a high rate of child labor in rural areas. The country’s population continues to increase, and as a result, land area per capita is decreasing. The number of cases filed against farmers is spiraling.

Land reforms aim to improve the social conditions of peasants and redistribute income in their favor. This includes providing employment opportunities and improving education and health services for the community. These reforms are primarily aimed at the younger generation. While the government claims to be doing its part to improve the lives of the poor, the real motive behind the reforms is not always clear.

During the Ziaul Haq government, only two amendment ordinances were passed. One of them declared that the provincial government will receive first priority in redistributing land. Another ordinance allowed the federal government to exempt cooperative farming societies and educational institutions from the 1977 act. These are only some of the reforms that took place during the Ziaul Haq era.

One of the most significant benefits of land reforms is the opportunity to channel more land to more productive farmers. However, government land reforms tend to allocate land to men based on the assumption that men are the primary breadwinners and cultivators. This neglects women’s role as dependents and helpers.

While land reforms do not address all of the problems related to land ownership, they improve the security of tenure for the land holders. They also change the inheritance system to favor offspring. The lack of land ownership prevents many peasants from accessing government subsidies. However, the government subsidizes agriculture by providing interest-free loans to small farmers who hold land.

However, there are some negative effects of land reforms. First, dividing large farms into smaller units results in fragmentation and decreased scale. The second disadvantage is that it discourages investments in technology and diversification. Third, the change in pattern of cultivation affects productivity directly and indirectly.

Irrigation system

Pakistan’s agriculture is a huge industry, but a lack of an effective irrigation system is hampering its growth. The country is facing droughts and flooding that are exacerbated by climate change. The country’s agricultural sector is worth $50 billion, but it could be worth seven times as much if farmers used water-saving methods. In addition, government support could help farmers build access to export markets.

Today, Pakistan’s surface water system consists of 4 storage reservoirs, 16 barrages, and twelve inter-river link canals. There are approximately 59,000 m3 of irrigation canals and 107,000 km of watercourses. However, as the population and economy continue to grow, competition for scarce water resources will intensify.

Lack of centralized authority over water management in Pakistan has resulted in conflict between different provinces and sectors. As a result, water supplies are scarce and inefficiently used. Most farms still rely on groundwater to water crops. Lack of effective irrigation infrastructure in Pakistan will severely affect the agricultural sector.

Pakistan is extremely dependent on water infrastructure, and although it has invested in improving the system, the infrastructure has become outdated. Despite government efforts to improve the system, there is little funding available for repair and maintenance. The Indus basin irrigation network, for example, lacks a demand-based allocation system. In addition, the government’s funds for infrastructure repair are only five to ten percent of what is needed. Consequently, Pakistan’s water infrastructure is more vulnerable to damage than it should be.

Linear-move irrigation systems require a control unit at one end, or in the middle for longer systems. In addition to moving towers in a straight line, the linear-move irrigation system also uses drag hoses to supply power. The pipes must remain in the same locations for four to five years, and relocating them will be costly.

Farmers in Rahim Yar Khan often stage protests to voice their dissatisfaction over the theft of water. They accuse the local police of stealing water from their farms. However, the irrigation department has yet to acknowledge the problem of corruption.

Impact of climate change on agriculture

As one of the developing countries, Pakistan is facing the consequences of climate change. The country has experienced several extreme climatic events, including flooding between 2010 and 2014. Flooding resulted in $10 billion losses, as well as an increase of 10 percent in food insecurity. One of the most vulnerable sectors of the country is agriculture. Changes in climatic conditions are affecting crop productivity and land suitability, which are important to Pakistani farmers.

The 2011 floods devastated Sindh and Baluchistan. Approximately 80 percent of the population in Sindh depends on agriculture for their livelihood. The floods severely damaged cereals, pulses, and cotton crops. They also destroyed livestock and caused disease to many animals. The floods killed about 300,000 people and affected 20 million.

To address this problem, Pakistan needs to promote climate-smart agriculture. However, this concept is still not given adequate consideration by the government. Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change has recently announced that it plans to launch its first climate-smart agricultural program in 2020. It has pledged to work with the FAO and the Green Climate Fund to implement the program. However, the initiative is still in its planning stages and the previous Tehreek-e-Insaf government has not provided matching resources.

Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges facing the economy and the agriculture sector. Extreme weather events have already caused extensive damage to crops and properties in Pakistan, and these extremes are only expected to get worse. Pakistan’s agriculture sector is crucial to the country’s economy and rural livelihoods. Although some farmers have implemented adaptation measures, many more are not. As a result, the food security of Pakistan’s rural households is at risk.

Temperature and rainfall patterns have also changed. In some parts of the country, rainfall has risen significantly, especially in southern areas. The results show that these changes have affected crop yield. For instance, wheat yield has increased in Sindh during the last decade, while in northern parts, the rainfall has decreased.

In Pakistan, atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions have increased significantly over the past few decades. This has led to concerns about climate change and global warming in the country. The government of Pakistan must implement policies and improve the agricultural sector to reduce its carbon emissions.