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Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producing Countries
Pakistan's agriculture output is the 10th largest in the world. The country produces large and growing quantities of cereals, meat, milk, fruits and vegetables. Currently, Pakistan produces about 38 million tons of cereals (mainly wheat, rice and corn), 17 million tons of fruits and vegetables, 70 million tons of sugarcane, 60 million tons of milk and 4.5 million tons of meat. Total value of the nation's agricultural output exceeds $50 billion. Improving agriculture inputs and modernizing value chains can help the farm sector become much more productive to serve both domestic and export markets.
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| Top 10 Countries by Agriculture Output. Source: FAO |
Pakistan has about 36 million hectares of land under cultivation. Wheat and rice are grown on more than half of it. Fruits and vegetables each account for only about 3% of the cultivable land. Since year 2001, the country's cereal production, mainly wheat, corn and rice, has grown about 45% to 38 million tons. Pakistan produced 6.64 million tons of vegetables and 5.89 million tons of fruits in 2001.
Pakistan is the world’s 4th largest exporter of rice. The country's domestic production is estimated to surge 13.6% to an all-time high of 8.4 million tons in the year end June 2021, according to Bloomberg.
Vegetable production rose to about 10 million tons and fruit production increased to nearly 7 million tons in 2015. A little over 60% of Pakistan's agriculture consists of livestock. Pakistan produces 60 million tons of milk and 4.5 million tons of meat. Fish production adds up to about 575,000 tons.
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| Pakistan's Rising Rice Exports. Source: Bloomberg |
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| Share of Land For Various Crops in Pakistan |
Crop yields in Pakistan are low, mainly due to poor quality inputs like seeds. In addition to fertilizer and water, seed is the basic input for agriculture sector and has a major role in enhancing agriculture productivity. This needs to be a key area of focus for Pakistani policymakers working on agriculture.
Other critical area is post-harvest handling, particularly storage and transportation that is in desperate need of improvement. Post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables due to mishandling of the perishable product, poor transportation, and inadequate storage facilities and market infrastructure account for about 30%–40% of total production, according to experts at Asian Development Bank.
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| World's 5th Largest Population of Chicken in Pakistan |
Improvements in agriculture inputs and modernization of post-harvest process require significant financing and investment. Growers get only a small fraction of value of what they produce, making it difficult for them to make these investments. Middlemen finance farmers and take the lion's share of profits in the value chain.
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| Source: FAO via Kleffmann Group |
Most of the farmers sell their produce to wholesalers via middlemen called arthis, according to an ADB report. Farmers contract out fruit orchards during the flowering stage to the middlemen (arthis), commission agent, and/or wholesalers who provide loans to the farmers over the course of production. Vegetables and fruits are transported by the same cart or truck from farms to the main markets in the absence of specialized vehicles for specific products. The same vehicle is used for many other purposes including animal transportation. Recently however, reefer (refrigerated) trucks have been introduced on a limited scale in some parts of Pakistan. In the absence of direct access of carrier vehicles to the farms, farmers gather their products in a convenient spot along the roadside for pickup. When middlemen or contractors are involved, it is their responsibility to collect and transport the produce. The unsold produce in one market is sent to other markets in the same locality.
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| Date Palms in Sindh, Pakistan. Photo: Emmanuel Guddu |
Investments in modernization of the agriculture production process and farm-to-market value chain will require major reforms to ensure growers get a bigger share of the value. The extraordinary power of the middlemen (arthis) as financiers needs to be regulated. This can not happen without legislation in close consultation with the growers. Improving agriculture inputs and modernizing value chains can help raise the productivity of the farm sector for it to serve both domestic and export markets better.
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Riaz Haq
Nov 16
Riaz Haq
Hazara’s Olive Oil Boom Lays Roadmap for Pakistani Sector - Olive Oil Times
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/production/hazaras-olive-oil-boom-lay...
The northwestern Pakistani region of Hazara has become a proving ground for the national olive oil sector.
Officials and producers are encouraged by early results, believing the region has provided a roadmap for the rest of Pakistan and opened the door to large-scale exports.
Olive oil production in Hazara has risen from 90 kilograms in 2019 to over two tons in 2022 and 2023, providing substantial financial benefits to farmers.
- Saeed Ur Rahman, olive specialist, PARC
“Hundreds of farmers are attracted to grafting olives on a local breed named Kaho,” said Basharat Hussain Shah, the National Tea and High-Value Crops Research Institute (NTHRI) senior director.
“Within two to three years of planting, the trees have started yielding, with the yield increasing each year,” he added. “Over 1,000 hectares of land in Hazara are dedicated to olive trees, and this area is growing annually.”
See Also:Festivals, Conferences Build Momentum for Pakistani Olive Oil Sector
Sabir Sultan is one of the pioneers of olive growing in Hazara, planting the first olive trees of the Zaitoon Family Foundation in 2010.
Over the past 14 years, Sultan has cultivated about 5,000 olive trees via graft, half of which have started producing fruit.
“The climate of Hazara is very suitable for olive cultivation,” he said. “The land space is vast, making cultivating large quantities of olive plants easier.”
The combination of land availability and appropriate olive growing conditions have made Hazara a candidate for larger-scale olive farms, which help to lower agronomic and harvesting costs.
Basharat Hussain Shah (left) sees the potential of grafting local olive tree varieties in Hazara and across Pakistan.
Additionally, Sultan insisted that the region is already leading the way regarding quality.
“An official analysis took place in Pakistan to assess the quality of oil from different regions, and it was found that Hazara produces the highest quality of olive oil in all of Pakistan,” he said.
Along with Arbequina and Leccino, Sultan grows two varieties bred specifically for Hazara’s climate and soil conditions: BARI Zaitoon‑1 and BARI Zaitoon‑2.
“Given the fertility and suitability of the land, if olive cultivation is done efficiently, we will not only be able to stop the import of olive goods but also become capable of exporting it globally,” Sultan said.
Sabir Sultan is a pioneer of olive farming in the Hazara region, where olive oil produciton is growing. (Photo: Sabir Sultan)
“The increase in olive cultivation can be extremely beneficial for Pakistan,” he added. “It can give an immense boost to the economy by reducing olive oil imports, which, along with tea, is one of Pakistan’s biggest imports.”
While Hussain said government support would be necessary for olive cultivation to spread and ultimately succeed in the South Asian country, he added that “the opportunities are limitless.”
The Hazara region, located in the wider Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, serves as a microcosm for the wider Pakistani industry. Hussain believes many of Hazara’s opportunities and challenges are mirrored nationwide.
“Pakistan’s climate and soil conditions are suitable for olive cultivation, particularly in the northwest regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab,” he said. “The country has made significant progress in olive farming, with many farmers adopting modern cultivation practices and irrigation systems.”
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Agronomists are helping farmers graft endemic wild olive trees across
According to Saeed, Pakistan produced 86 tons of olive oil in the 2022/23 crop year, most of which was virgin and extra virgin.
“The country has around seven million olive trees planted on 25,000 hectares, with the potential production of these already-planted groves expected to reach 1,400 tons annually,” he said. “By 2027, production is projected to exceed 10,000 tons annually.”
Nov 16
Riaz Haq
Pakistan’s expert discovers seed tech in China during an event held in China under the Asian Seed Association.
https://thedailycpec.com/pakistans-expert-discovers-seed-tech-in-ch...
The Asian Seed Congress (ASC), the premier annual event of the Asian Seed Association (APSA), took place in Sanya, Hainan, China, from December 2 to December 5, with the theme “Riding the Wave of Growth in Asia Pacific.” Since its establishment in 1994, ASC has rotated its location yearly across different countries or regions within the Asia-Pacific. This year marked its 29th edition, setting a record with over 1,500 participants from 52 nations, making it the largest gathering in APSA’s history.
Dr. Rasheed, a seasoned agribusiness expert with more than 15 years of experience, represented Pakistan at the congress. Eager to stay abreast of emerging trends and establish partnerships, he expressed particular interest in vegetable seeds, including chili, tomato, melon, and watermelon. “This is my seventh Asian Seed Congress,” shared Dr. Rasheed, currently serving as the research advisor for Pakistan’s Patron Group. He was particularly intrigued by the trade exhibition, where global seed companies showcased their best varieties, while Chinese exhibitors highlighted cutting-edge biotechnologies.
Dr. Rasheed observed an impressive range of biotechnologically engineered seeds resistant to various environmental and biological challenges. These advancements, he noted, have the potential to significantly enhance agricultural yields in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s seed industry holds immense promise within the Asia-Pacific seed market, valued at $29.7 billion, contributing 32% of the global seed market. The region’s seed use is equally significant, with 26.9 billion tonnes, representing nearly 40% of the global total. Such collaborations, Dr. Rasheed remarked, could drive growth and innovation within Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Highlighting the strong collaboration between Pakistan and China in the seed industry, Dr. Rasheed pointed out China’s extensive seed trade network spanning 116 countries. Hybrid rice, a notable achievement, has been successfully introduced and scaled in regions such as Asia and Latin America. As China’s strategic partner and close neighbor, Pakistan is well-positioned to benefit from and expand such cooperative efforts.
Hybrid rice has proven transformative for Pakistan. Following years of trials, the country has reached a milestone by exporting hybrid rice to third-party markets, symbolizing a significant achievement in agricultural collaboration between China and Pakistan.
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