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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
Pakistan invests $10.5m in aquaculture park as part of blue economy drive Pakistan is investing $10.5m in a Karachi aquaculture park to boost seafood exports and develop its blue economy...
https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2025/07/21/pakistan-invests-10-5m-...
Pakistan is investing PKR 3 billion ($10.5 million) to build a 120-acre aquaculture park in Karachi, on the country's southern coast, to boost seafood exports and promote sustainable marine resource use, reports Arab News...
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Pakistan plans to build $10.5 million aquaculture park to promote seafood exports
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2608657/pakistan
The development comes amid government efforts for sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth
Pakistan’s fish and fish preparation exports reached $465.4 million in the last fiscal year that ended in June
KARACHI: Pakistan is planning to build Rs3 billion ($10.5 million) aquaculture park in the southern port city of Karachi, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Saturday, amid efforts to strengthen the country’s blue economy.
According to the World Bank, the blue economy is defined as sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improving livelihoods and creating jobs, while preserving the ocean ecosystem health.
Pakistan has been pushing to modernize its port infrastructure and expand its role in regional trade by improving cargo handling, digitalizing port operations and encouraging public-private partnerships.
Speaking at a meeting to review progress on blue economy, Chaudhry said this new aquaculture park will be built on 120 acres and directed the Qur'angi Fish Harbor Authority to submit its report within 10 days.
“Pakistani coastal waters are very suitable for aquaculture,” he said in a statement shared by the maritime affairs ministry. “The project will be built under a public-private partnership and the park will boost seafood exports.
Pakistan’s fish and fish preparation exports reached $465.4 million in the outgoing fiscal year that ended in June, according to official data. The exports were up 13.4 percent from $410.3 million in the previous year.
Authorities are currently trying to enhance the potential of Pakistan’s fisheries, logistics and marine services while reducing environmental harm.
“Investment in aquaculture and port infrastructure is essential for national development,” Chaudhry told representatives of Gwadar Port, Qur'angi Fish Harbor, Marine Fisheries and Balochistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry at the meeting.
“The same aquaculture model will be implemented in Balochistan as well.”
In May, the Pakistani government announced the creation of a new Maritime Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), saying it would serve as a specialized platform for uniting stakeholders from across the maritime spectrum to pursue greener policies and long-term economic resilience.
“This chamber will not only support investment and innovation in the maritime sector but also prioritize sustainability at ports, promote green technologies and foster carbon reduction strategies,” Chaudhry said at the time.
Jul 21
Riaz Haq
Pakistan seafood exports set volume record in 2024-25 fiscal year but fall short of value targets | SeafoodSource
https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/pakistan-seafood-ex...
Pakistan’s seafood exports set a record by volume in the 2024-25 fiscal year but still fell short of hitting the sector’s long-held value goals.
The South Asian country sent 216,350 metric tons (MT)of fishery products abroad during the period, which ended in June 2025. That total marked an 8.3 percent jump from the nearly 200,000 MT sent abroad in fiscal year 2023-2024 and was largely attributed to the efforts of local fishermen and processors, who expanded their export capacities despite persistent global trade challenges, according to the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (PFEA).
Exports by value rose 13.4 percent in the period to USD 465 million (EUR 399 million); though that total spiked year over year, it still fell short of the sector’s long-held goal of USD 500 million (EUR 428 million).
According to Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the former director-general of Pakistan’s Marine Fisheries Department, the country’s government has announced several measures to help the industry hit that goal, including supporting cluster-based shrimp-farming projects, establishing technical cooperation with Iran regarding shrimp hatchery development, applying on-board freezing technologies to reduce post-harvest losses, and more.
However, structural and regulatory restraints make that goal a tough mark to hit.
One large restraint is that demand has been weak in key Asian markets, particularly China, amid continued trade disruptions spurred by the U.S.’s constantly shifting tariff policies, according to PFEA Senior Vice Chairman Saeed Fareed...
Jul 21
Riaz Haq
Adeel Afzal
@AdeelAfzal06
Pakistan secures 4-year US approval to export seafood under NOAA’s Marine Mammal Protection Act. FY25 seafood exports already up 11.4% to $489m; compliance could lift earnings toward $600m.
A key boost for sustainable fisheries and global market access. 🐟🇵🇰
https://x.com/AdeelAfzal06/status/1961768830914494489
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China tariffs pave way for high seafood exports to US
Pakistan can tap full potential as Washington extends authorisation by 4 years
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2564228/china-tariffs-pave-way-for-hig...
China has lost the entire seafood market in the US following higher duties, market sources said, adding that Beijing was expected to shift its seafood market to Pakistan for exports to the US. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Saturday that Pakistan has received authorisation that gave extension for the export of fish and fish-related products to the United States by another four years.
In a statement, the minister said that the decision reflects international recognition of the quality of Pakistan's seafood and would create long-term stability for the sector. "The extension is expected to bolster our position in the global seafood market by securing access to one of the world's largest seafood importers," he said. The federal minister explained that the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has classified all Pakistani fisheries on its List of Foreign Fisheries as "comparable" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
"This classification confirms that Pakistan's fisheries meet US standards for protecting marine mammals from incidental mortality and serious injury during fishing operations," he said.
The MMPA requires fisheries to minimise marine mammal by-catch, adopt conservation practices and take sustainable measures that also support healthier marine ecosystems.
Aug 31