Agriculture Sector in Pakistan

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Food and Agriculture Sector in Pakistan

The overall situation of Food during the year 1998-99 was satisfactory. In order to provide relief to the consumers, the government has taken various measures to control the inflation in food items. The agriculture sector, which is the largest sector of Pakistan's Economy, has registered a marginal growth of 0.35 per cent as compared to 3.82 per cent during the year 1997-98. The decline in the agricultural growth is mainly due to decline in cotton production, which suffered heavy losses due to virus attack. Similarly the production of wheat is also decline due to long spell of dry season at the time of sowing. The growth of major crops were 0.6 per cent in 1998-99 as compare to 8.3 per cent during the same period last year. The minor crops registered a growth of 0.6 per cent as it was 3.3 per cent in 1997-98. The Livestock Sector grewed by 1.5 per cent over the negative growth of 0.7 per cent in 1997-98, Fisheries sector increased by 3.7 per cent over 7.8 per cent in the year 1997-98. The production of sugar cane during the year is estimated at 55190.7 thousand tonnes which shows an increase of 3.9 per cent over the last year.

Food Availability

The average food availability remained satisfactory during the year 1998-99. The per capita availability of Rice, Pulses, Milk, Meat, Fruit and Vegetables increased by 1.86 per cent, 12.5 per cent, 1.99 per cent, 3.0 per cent and 0.33 per cent respectively as change over to 1997-98 to 1998-99. The per capita availability of wheat increased by 1.58 per cent as compare to last year.

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RICE

Rice is very important food as well as the cash crop, which is grown on 10.5 per cent of the total cropped area of the country, and it is main export item of Pakistan. During the year 1998-99 Pakistan exported 1.293 million tons of rice and earned $383.2 million foreign exchange as compared to the export of 1.659 million tons during the year 1997-98. The area cultivated under the rice crop during the current year is estimated at 2423.6 thousand hectares while it is indicating 4.6 per cent growth to last year. The production of rice is estimated at 4673.8 thousand tons as compared to 4333 thousand tons of last year, showing an increase of 7.9 per cent.

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WHEAT

The Wheat is the main staple food of the population and the largest grain crop of Pakistan. The total cultivated area during the year 1998-99 is estimated at 20,983 acres, as this area was 20,667 acres during the same period last year. The production of wheat during the year 1998-99 was 18054.5 thousand tons as compared to 18694 thousand tonnes in 1997-98 showing a decline of 3.4 per cent. From July-March 1998-99. 2.163 million tons of wheat was imported to supplement domestic production as compared to 4.10 million tons during the same period of last year. According to the officials of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, the target for the import of wheat has been reduced to 1.6 million tonnes, as it was projected 2 million tonnes earlier by the EEC.

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SUGARCANE

The sugarcane crop occupies 5 per cent of the total occupied area. The production and area under sugarcane crop have dropped by 18-20 per cent during the 99-2000 season. The total production of sugarcane during the year 1999-2000 year has been estimated at 43.18 million tons against 55.19 million tonnes in 1998-99 season. The area under sugarcane dropped by 12.1 per cent during the year 1999-2000 as 1.015 hectares were bought under sugarcane cultivation in 98-99 against 11.5 hectares in 99-2000.

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OIL SEED

The annual growth in consumption of Edible oil is 9 per cent. The country requirement for edible oil for the current year is estimated at 1.7 millions tonnes as compared to 1.69 million tonnes of the last year. The 32 per cent will complete the requirement with in the country and 68 per cent will be imported as compared 30 per cent locally manufactured in the country and 70 per cent were imported during the year 1997-98. The total cost for the import of edible oil will amount to US$653 million as compared to last year's US$712 million is showing a decrease of 7.2 per cent. The support prices of Sunflower, Canola, Soybean and safflower has increased 11.1 per cent, 11.1 per cent, 18.8 per cent and 16.7 per cent respectively.

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PULSES

The Gram, (Lentil) Masoor, Moong and Mash are major pulse grown in Pakistan. These crops are grown in the rained area on marginal lands. The total area for these pulses to grown was 1400.2 thousand hectares as compared to 1411.5 thousand hectares during the year 1997-98. The total production all four pulses was 855.5 thousand tonnes as it was 918.9 thousand tonnes during the year 1997-98.

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POTATOES

The 70 per cent of potatoes crop is produced in autumn, while 15 per cent each in spring and summer. The area under Potato crop in 1997-98 was 104.6 thousand hectares yielding production of 1425.5 thousand tonnes. The production is expected to rise to 1611.4 thousand tonnes in 1998-99 showing an increase of 13.0%. The domestic requirement of potatoes is 1300 thousand tonnes.

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ONIONS

The domestic requirement for onions 1998-99 is 1075 thousand tonnes and the area under onion crop in 1997-98 was 81.4 thousand hectares having production of 1076.5 thousand tonnes. The crop size for 1998-99 is expected at 1121.2 thousand tonnes, showing an increase of 4.15 per cent.

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CHILIES

The rains heavily damaged the crop and production is estimated to decline to 135 thousand tonnes in 1998-99, while the chilies production during the year 1997-98 was 140.2 thousand tonnes against an area of 90.4 thousand hectares.

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PRODUCTION OF FRUITS.

Pakistan has produced 6,294,600 tons of fruit against an area of 640,000 hectares during the year 1998-99 as compared to 2,037,000 tonnes of fruits on an available area of 196 hectares The main export in fruit is Kinnoo and Mangoes while other fruit are also exported but in limited quantity. Pakistani Kinnoo is mainly exported to the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

In UAE, Pakistani Kinoo is the second largest export with 17 per cent share, next to China. As per Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) the smallest exporters like Australia and Netherlands have increased their exports to this market Australia is getting $2100 per tonnes, Netherlands $4500 per tonnes, Pakistan $876 and China $950 per tonnes. Pakistan entered in the Kuwait market in 1996 and the market of Pakistani Kinnoo has increased from 1.86 per cent to 2.48 per cent since its induction in Kuwait.