Need to improve agri yields

Pakistans yield per acre of gram has dropped by 50 percent: from 5 maunds per acre to 2.5 maunds per acre,
according to Ibrahim Mughal Chairman of the Agri-Forum Pakistan. This statistic would surprise no one in the wake of a
2011 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2011 report that revealed that Pakistan was behind
regional as well as global yields per acreage for nearly all crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane and pulses.
The report added that while Pakistan is one of the ten major producers of wheat in the world, around 24 million tons,
with 24.5 to 25 million tons of total output projected in the current year, yet our per acre yield is only 2.6 tons per hectare
while Indias yield is 2.8 tons and Chinas 4.7 tons per hectare. The highest wheat yield is in the UK at 7.7 tons per
hectare; however, its cycle is spread over one year against five months in Pakistan. Wheat exports have varied from
52.7 million rupees in July-April 2012-13 to 112.7 million rupees in 2011-12.
Rice yield in Pakistan was calculated at 3.1 tons per hectare with a total output of around 9 million tons making Pakistan
one of the ten largest producers of the crop world-wide. Rice exports have accounted for as high as 11 percent of our
total exports accounting for almost 1.7 billion rupees in 2011-12. In contrast, Indias yield per hectare is 3.3,
Bangladeshs 4.2 and Sri Lankas 4.1. China has the highest yield - 6.5 tons per hectare.
Pakistans sugarcane yield per hectare is 52.4 tons, in comparison to Indias 66.1 tons which is the regional leader
followed by Chinas 65.7 tons per hectare and Bangladeshs 43.8 tons per hectare. Brazil is the world leader at 79.2 tons
per hectare.
In coarse grains, Pakistans yield is 2.2 tons per hectare, Indias is lower at 1.2 tons per hectare and Italy has the highest
yield at 7.6 tons per hectare. Pakistans yield for pulses is 0.6 tons per hectare, Indias per hectare yield is 0.7 tons,
Bangladeshs 0.9 tons per hectare and the highest yield in pulses is in the UK at 3.9 tons per hectare.
Pakistan, however, has the highest per acre yield of 21.6 tons per hectare in roots and tuber production, Indias yield is
20.6 tons per hectare, Chinas 17.8, and Bangladesh 17.7. However, Pakistan is far behind the US registering where per
hectare is 42.1 tons.
The FAO report highlighted the reasons for the low yield in Pakistan in comparison to regional countries as well as
globally: water shortage, absence of high yield varieties of seeds and lack of research and development. However, in
this context it is relevant to note that FAOs data takes account of the national average while the yield per hectare of
different crops varies from province to province. Punjab remains the food basket of the country and its yield is on
average higher than the national average. Additionally, within provinces yield varies markedly between subsistence
farms and those operated by the rich landlords whose yield per acreage is closer to the regional average.
Be that as it may, it is also relevant to note that the Indian Punjab has a higher yield per hectare in most crops relative to
the Pakistani Punjab. What is perhaps required is for the provincial governments, given that agriculture is a provincial
subject, take cognizance of their farm sectors and initiate appropriate measures based on studies in high yield countries
on how to increase yield. Assistance in this regard can be sought from China, the US and the UK as well as Brazil the
world leaders in yields in specific crops.
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