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Agriculture is a vital sector of Pakistan's economy and accounted for 25.9 percent of
GDP in 1999-2000, according to government estimates. The sector directly supports
three-quarters of the country's population, employs half the labor force , and
contributes a large share of foreign exchange earnings. The main agricultural
products are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables, in addition to
milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan depends on one of the world's largest
irrigation systems to support production.
SEASONS
There are two crop growing seasons in Pakistan. One is the Rabi in which the crops
are sown in the beginning of winter season (October-November) and harvested in
early summer (April-May). Wheat, barley, grams, oilseeds and pulses are some Rabi
crops. The other crop is the Kharif which is sown in summer and harvested in
winter. Rice, sugarcane, maize and cotton are some Kharif crops.
MAIN CROPS
Sugar Cane (Cash Crop)
Introduction
It is a type of long grass "perennial" in nature.The first crop is called "plant cane"
and the succeeding crops are called "Ratoon Crops".Although it is a plant of
tropical regions but it can also be cultivated in sub-tropical areas.
Uses of Sugar Cane
Sugar cane is used for sweetening purposes.It is the most important and cheapest
source of refined sugar.Gur,Alcohol and Desi Shakkar are also prepared from
Sugar cane.The left out stalk fibers (bagasse) are used in the paper industries are as
fuel and cattle food.
Favourable Conditions For Its Growth
1. Temperature
Sugarcane is a crop of wet tropical lands .From eight to twenty four months elapse
between 65 degree F to 85degree F.Little or no growth takes place at a temperature
below 60 degree F.Frost is very dangerous to young cane and sever frost during the
period of ripening causes inversion of the sucrose.The sugarcane needs a minimum
of 250 frost free days.
2. Water
Heavy precipitation is beneficial during the early and intermediate stage of crop
growth,but a dry season is desirable before harvest.It grows well in areas having
rainfall of more than 40 degree annually.It is very sensitive to dought
conditions.Stagnant water is very damaging.In our country Sugarcane is cultivated
in canal irrigated areas since the rainfall is below 20" which is not sufficient.
3.Soils
Sugarcane can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from sandy loams the heavy
clays but sill loams and clay loams are most suitable.It is grown primarily on both
alluvial and red soils.The soil should contain some elements of lime,potash and
nitrogen.
4.Land
The best land for sugarcane is flat or undulating and fertile with topsoil that retains
moisture and sub soils that permit drainage.Therefore the main Sugarcane area in
Pakistan is located in the canal colonies of the fertile Indus valley.
Sugarcane Cultivation
In Pakistan,a sub tropical continental climate milltates against the growing of thick
canals.All the areas of our country are not suited to the growth of Sugarcane.It is
mostly cultivated in canal irrigated areas of Punjab,N.W.F.P and Sindh provinces.
1. Punjab:
Hyderabad division ranks first and Sukkur division second in the production of
Sugar cane .
3. N.W.F.P
Mardan and Peshawar districts are at the top and some amount of Sugar cane is
also produced in the districts of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.
Cotton (Cash Crop)
Introduction
Cotton is also known as the "Silver Fiber" .It is a wooly fibre surrounded around
the seeds of the plant the longing to genus "Gossypium".It is known to have been
produced in the Indus plain since 3000 B.C.
Favourable Conditions For Its Growth
1. Temperature:
Humid tropical and sub-tropical savanna climates are both conductive to cotton
growth .At the time of cultivation it requires temperature ranging between 80
degree F to 100 degree F but at the time of picking 50 degree F to 60 degree F
temperature remains sufficient.Frost or severe cold is dangerous for its growth.As
produced commercially,cotton requires a growing season of atleast 180 to 200 frost-
free days.
2. Water:
Cotton grows best on soils which retain moisture at their upper levels and are well
drained at lower depths.Its favours alluvial soil but can do quite well on tighter soils
if sufficient moisture is present to prevent excessive compaction around the plant
roots.The use of natural or artificial manure is essential to maintain the fertility of
soil.
4. Land:
Sea breeze is very helpful for the production of quality cotton.For this reason low
lands near the sea (Sindh areas ) are considered to be ideal situations for its
cultivation.
Cotton Cultivation:
In Pakistan cotton is grown in canal irrigated areas of Punjab and Sindh and also in
some parts of Baluchistan and N.W.F.P.
1. Punjab:
The province of Punjab has a network of canals leading out from the mighty river
Indus and draining the are. (0 % of the crop depends Bahawalpur,Dera Ghazi
Khan,Faisalabad,Sargodha,Lahore and Gujranwala constitute the cotton belt .In
these areas the well-known variety of medium staple cotton is grown.A small
quantity of Desi quality cotton is allowed to be grown for domestic use.Punjab
produces a surplus quantity of cotton and after meeting the local requirements the
rest of it is exported.
2. Sindh:
Rice holds an important position among the cash crops of Pakistan.It fulfills the
food requirements of our country but we also earn a lot of foreign exchange from its
export.Besides it is an important raw material for manufacturing starch,paper
,sandals,hats,mattresses etc.grain as well as its husk is also used as fodder for cattle.
Biological and Historical References
Rice is a tropical plant.it requires high temperature during the growing season of 4
to 6 months.The temperature should be more than 80 degree F and in no way less
than 70 degree F even for the quick maturing varieties.In Pakistan rice is cutivated
only one a year i.e.early summer.Its cultivation is not possible in areas of severe cold
or where the temperature goes below freezing point.
2. Water
The rice growing areas of Pakistan have an average annual rainfall of less than 20
" .So the deficiency of rainfall has been met by the artificial arrangements of
irrigation water through canals and tube wells etc.
3. Soil:
With the exemption of sandy soils which are very permeable ,rice can be grown
successfully on soils ranging from silt loam to clays .Alluvial soil is the most suitable
soil for the rich growth of rice.Heavy clayey sub soil with water retaining capacity
gives best results.
4. Land:
The flooding of rice fields requires level land and therefore river valleys,deltas and
coasted plains are suitable areas,otherwise terracing is required.
System of Cultivation
In this case sowing is first done in nursery beds.When the plants attain a height of 4
" to 6 ",they are transplanted into big fields.This method is also called the Japanese
method.It is the most scientific and beneficial method.By its practice ,the per acre
production increases considerably.
Rice is mostly cultivated in rows and the distance from row to row is kept about 6 "
and from plant to plant remains 3 ".
Rice Growing Areas
Cultivation of rice is mainly confined to the low lying parts of the Punjab plain and
the flooded rivers and canal areas of Sindh.To a small extent it is also grown in the
submountain districts in the North and the canal irrigated areas.Rice cultivation in
N.W.F.P .Baluchistan and Azad Kashmir areas is not more than 1 % to 2 % of their
total areas.
1. Punjab:
In the province of Sindh,the districts of Sukkur division are most famouse for good
quality rice cultivation .Larkana district ranks at cultivated in
Khairpur,Nawabshah and Hyderabad districts.The main qualities of rice which are
common in the province of Sindh are Kangni,Beghi,Irri-8 etc.
Wheat is the most popular food crop of Pakistan.Wheat being the staple diet of most
of the people of Pakistan it dominates all crops in acreage and production .We use
wheat and its products in a number of ways.It accounts for over 70 % of the gross
cereals and over 36 % of the country's acreage is devoted to wheat cultivation.
For wheat cultivation,rain must come during the period of growth and sunny
conditions should prevail at the time of ripening.Minimum rainfall required during
the growing season is 20 ".Rainfall is no way should exceed 40 ".In Pakistan the
average annual rainfall is less than 20 " which is insufficient.Thus wheat is mostly
grown by means of irrigation.Due to lack of irrigational facilities Baluchistan and
Potwar plateau depend exclusively on rainfall.However the yield per acre of the rain
fed fields is about half that of irrigated fields.
3. Soil:
Wheat is known to grow on a varioty of soils but it does best in the well-drained
clayey loams having plenty of humus.Hence the dark coloured chernozems of the
temperate grasslands like that of Pakistan are the most suitable soils.
Kinds of Wheat:
It has local importance and is mostly used for making of Suji (Semolina) and Sewian
(Vermicelli).
Wheat Producing Centres of Pakistan:
The province of Punjab ranks at the top in the production of wheat.The upper indus
plain accounts for 70 % of the total wheat of our country.Canal fed fields produce
2/3 and the rest comes from the rain fed fields.The main wheat growing divisions
are :
Sargodha,Faisalabad,Multan,Dera Ghazi
Khan,Bahawalpur,Lahore,Sahiwal,Shaikhupura and Sialkot.
2. Sindh:
The North west Frontier province does not contribute much towards wheat
production.In the canal irrigated areas of N.W.F.P Mardan,Peshawar and Bannu
are famouse for wheat cultivation.
Baluchistan:
Some wheat is also grown in the plateau areas and the valleys of the hilly regions of
Baluchistan.On the Potwar Plateau there are large areas under wheat which depend
entirely on rainfall.
LIVESTOCK FARMING
Livestock is the second important sector of agriculture. While the share of
agriculture in GDP declined from 26 in 1986-87 to 24 per cent in 2003-04, the share
of livestock went up from eight to 11.4 per cent during that period.
Pakistan is rich in its major livestock wealth as is evident from its population
growth as shown in Table 1:
(million in numbers)
t is evident from Table 1 , that there was significant increase in the population of
livestock, especially goats, buffaloes, sheep and cattle in the given order. Although,
there was increase in the population of camels and bovines, but this increase except
that of donkeys was not significant .Because their population was below one million
in 1960-61 and it remained below one million even after 43 years in 2002-03.
Presently, livestock is the major economic activity of small and landless farmers
,tenants , sedentary ,nomadic and transhumance herders for their survival.
Goats
There are around 31 breeds of goats which are raised mainly for milk, meat, skin,
hair manure etc. Some of these breeds reared for specific purposes are Betal, Dera
Din Panah, Jattan and Kamori mainly for milk, while Chamber, Shurri, Damani,
Nachi, Potwari and Khurassani, Sindh Desi, Tapri mainly for milk and meet.
Similarly, Kaghani, Hairy Goat, Lehri, Desi(Jattal) and Burgi mostly for meat and
hair, while Kooti, Buchi, Labri, Gaddi, Kajli, Chappar and Tharki mainly for meat,
milk and hair. Likewise,Teddy Pateri and Barbari are primarily raised for meat.
In Northern areas due to severe cold weather ,shortage of food ,feed and burning
material for warmth and cooking ,the Baltistani ,Jarakhel , Koai Ghizar and
Piameri breeds of goats are used for mutton, milk, hair and dung to supplement
animal dung for cooking and warming up as well as manure .
Sheep
Similarly, there are nearly 30 breeds of sheep, out of which 16 are thin-tailed and 14
are fat-tailed sheep. They are raised for different purposes depending upon the
breeds such as mutton, wool, milk, fat, manure etc Again, camel is one of the most
neglected animal in spite of its great importance in our arid, semi-arid regions, it is
a valuable source of milk, meat, skin hair. fuel, bones, ploughing, riding and
transportation in these regions where other sources are negligible or not sufficient.
And yet, there is not a single camel research institute in the country.
Camel
Camel and its by-products have great potential of their export to Middle East
,Africa and other countries. Policy makers and planners of livestock development
should seriously consider to establish a national camel research institute in Thal,
Cholistan, Thar and Chagai-Kharan based on technical and socio-economic
parameters as has been done by India at Bikaner in their Rajisthan desert .