Agriculture under threat
Quoting official data for January-June 2025, the news flashed on the print media, stating that Pakistani farmers endured collective losses of over Rs1.26 trillion. Ironically, like all losses in the…
Inclusive agriculture
Pakistan’s underperforming agricultural sector employs approximately 39 per cent of the workforce and contributes 24 per cent to the national GDP, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24. Despite its…
Rethinking agriculture for economic revival
In the last many weeks, I have written in these pages to share ideas for addressing the dire challenges faced by our economy. The government of Pakistan has a choice:…
Rethinking Pakistan’s agriculture
THE climate change-induced rains of last summer left millions of people homeless in many parts of Pakistan. While it is correct to put pressure on the international community to pay…
Agriculture is not the future of Pakistan
The argument that Pakistan is an agrarian economy is always reinforced by the agriculture sector’s significant share in GDP, its role as the single largest exporter, the largest employer that…
How climate change threatens global agriculture
From the worst drought in forty years in the Horn of Africa to record-breaking heatwaves in Argentina, extreme weather prompted by climate change is threatening to disrupt global agriculture, even…
Sustainable agriculture Part – II
Pakistan needs to look at possible actions which can help the country achieve sustainable agriculture and food security. All our actions should have the sole objective of lifting our productivity…
Sustainable agriculture: Part – I
Pakistan is an agricultural economy, and it is important to reinforce the real contribution of agriculture to Pakistan’s GDP. While its direct weightage is approximately 23 per cent, its indirect…
Agriculture — the weakest link
Pakistan imported $1.3 billion worth of cotton, sugar, and wheat in the last six months – such numbers are unprecedented. These three are staple crops and farmers’ livelihood, food security,…
Needed: renewed focus on agriculture
Rural areas of Pakistan are characterized by high incidence of multi-dimensional poverty and low levels of financial inclusion. These areas are also home to 63% of Pakistan’s population. Almost all…
