Learn about the major problems faced by the agriculture sector in Pakistan and explore potential solutions to overcome these challenges for sustainable growth.
Problems of Agriculture Sector in Pakistan
Despite agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Pakistan, it is not showing a good performance due to a host of problems. Some most import of them, are being focused at the following paragraphs.
- Under-utilization of land resources. The total area of Pakistan is 79.61 million hectares, out of which only 21.60 million hectares are being cultivated at present (200 1). It means, hardly 20% of total land is being utilized and two-third is lying wasted due to inadequate supply of necessary inputs like capita! and irrigation water. No doubt, the successive governments, with all the resources at their disposal, have been doing their best to bring new area under cultivation. Consequently, since the last two decades an area of nearly 2.0 million hectares has been added, yet a lot has to be done in this regard.
- Inadequate irrigation water facilities. Inadequate irrigation water facility is another serious problem causing a hurdle in the expansion of cropped area. Though the irrigation water availability has become almost double i.e., from 63.87 million acre feet in 1965-66 to 130.0 million acre feet in 1999- 2000, yet one-third of under cropped area has to depend on rains for irrigation.
- Seventy of water-logging and salinity. Once considered to be the best irrigation systems of the world is now proving to be the worst one because it is causing water-logging and salinity. Nearly, 88,000 acres of land is being deprived of its productive capacity every year by adverse effect of these twin menace. Such a huge loss of cultivable land is proving to be fatal to the economy. No doubt, WAPDA Is doing its best to rehabilitate the affected land with the help of a “Master Plan”
- but-the rate of recovery is quite slow than that of the damage.
- Inadequate supply of modern inputs. The supply of modern inputs like improved seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides and mechanised machinery is quite inadequate compared to real requirements. For a sustained progress in agricultural productivity, a regular and sufficient supply of such inputs is vital. In the past and even now, the supply of these inputs have not been upto the required standard. Though the past situation has changed and the supply of modern inputs is gradually increasing yet the pace of progress is very slow.
- Inadequate agricultural research and development facilities. To bring a breakthrough in agricultural produce, agriculture research and development facilities can play a dynamic role, for these facilities help in inventing new seeds, improving cultivation practices and finding out the best combination under different conditions of soils, climate, water availability and moister levels. Though such facilities are being provided but at a very limited scale due to paucity of required funds and technical know-how.
Improper disbursement of Agricultural loans/credit. Majority of the farmers owns 5 to 10 hectares of cultivable land. These farmers being very poor remain badly in need even to purchase their day to day inputs requirements. The established specialised credit institutions for catering inputs requirements of the farmers do not like to extend credit facility to these small farmers due to their low repayment capacity. • Those small farmers who after a great deal of trouble somehow manage to get such credit are few in number. The bulk of such credit is disbursed among big landlords, zamindars, and wadiras under political pressure. Hence/the institutional capital is not playing its due role.
- Limited implementation of extention services programme. The aim of the extension services programme is to provide the latest information to the farmers regarding the farming practices, multiple cropping, better use of water resources, appropriate use of pest control devices, better use of tilling methods, preparation of proper seed-beads etc. Though in order to provide extention services facilities, the provincial agriculture departments have employed extension agents in rural areas, but their activities are limited. Such agents are not highly qualified. They lack residential and transport facilities. They do not visit the farmers frequently. Hence the implementation of extension services programme is very limited.
- Low cropping intensity Low chopping intensity is another problem the agriculture sector has to confront. The area sown more than once was 6.44 million hectares in 1999-2000 against 1.60 million in 1959-60. Though the area sown more than once is increasing but the pace of progress Is very slow.
- Lack of infrastructure facilities. Agriculture sector, so far, does not have a latest and developed infrastructure i.e., the most vital segment of development process. Pakistan’s rural area is spread over 1,00,000 villages, most of which do not have proper infrastructure facilities like melted linked roads, medical and hygienic facilities. Out of total 247,352 kilometers of roads, 1 10.132 kilometers are consisting of low-type kachcha roads due to which proper transportation of inputs as well as outputs cannot take place in right time. Hence, the lack of infrastructure affects the performance of agriculture sector In a number of ways.
Lack of agro-based services and industries. Lack of agro-based services and industries like livestock farm, dairy farm, poultry farm, horticulture, poultry feed and fisheries in agriculture sector is also a setback which is harming the quality of life of the farmers. Agro-based services and industries can help m lessening the intensity of underemployment and disguised employment. Besides, they can also help in checking the problems created by rural – urban migration tendency