Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan 2016-17

Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan 2016-17

Agriculture is the lifeline of Pakistan’s economy accounting for 19.5 percent of the gross domestic product, employing 42.3 percent of the labour force and providing raw material for several value-added sectors. It thus plays a central role in national development, food security and poverty reduction. The rapid growth of Pakistan’s urban areas indicate that demand for high-value perishable products such  as fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat is rising. Government is focusing to increase the yield for rural growers through major infrastructure investments including reliable transport networks and other building blocks for modern supply chains. CPEC will go a long way in the enhancement of agribusiness benefits by tapping value-added product innovation and supply chain.   Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan 2016-17 remained up to the mark and achieved growth of 3.46 percent against the target of 3.5 percent and last year’s meager growth of 0.27 percent. This was possible by better harvesting of major crops through greater availability of agriculture inputs like water, agriculture credit and intensive fertilizers offtake. The growth in crops was registered at 3.02 percent against the negative growth of 4.97 percent during the same period last year. The growth of sub sector of important crops, other crops and cotton ginning posted growths of 4.12 percent, 0.21 percent and 5.59 percent, respectively against last year growths of -5.47 percent, 0.59 percent and -22.12 percent respectively. Other sub sectors of Agriculture like Livestock, Forestry and Fishing posted growth of 3.43 percent, 14.49 percent and 1.23 percent, respectively. The upturn in crop yields by significant margins occurred both on account of increase in production and improved yields. Maize production increased 16.30 percent against 6.77 percent last year, Sugarcane 12.41 percent against 4.23 percent, Cotton 7.59 percent against -28.96 and Rice 0.71 percent against -2.88 percent last year. Only wheat production growth remained slightly low at 0.46 percent compared to 2.18 percent last year. Other crops accounted for 11.03 percent in value addition of agriculture grew by 0.21 percent during 2016- 17 against 0.59 percent during the same period last year due to decline in the production of vegetables and oilseeds by posting negative growth of 0.73 percent and 5.93 percent, respectively. 
Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan 2016-17 showed that Livestock accounts 58.33 percent share in the agriculture. It witnessed a growth of 3.43 percent compared to 3.36 percent during corresponding period last year. The Fishing sector contribution stands at 2.12 percent inagriculture alue addition and recorded a growth of 1.23 percent compared to 3.25 percent growth of same period last year. Forestry sector having contribution of 2.33 percent in the agriculture value addition witnessed a significant growth of 14.49 percent during 2016-17 due to higher timber production reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan 2016-17 showed that Pakistan has two crop seasons, "Kharif" being the first sowing season starting from April-June  and is harvested during October-December.  Rice, sugarcane, cotton, maize, moong, mash,  bajra and jowar are “Kharif" crops. "Rabi", the second sowing season, begins in October December  and is harvested in April-May. Wheat, gram, lentil (masoor), tobacco, rapeseed, barley and mustard are "Rabi" crops.
Pakistan’s agricultural production is closely linked with the availability of irrigation water. During 2016-17, the availability of water for Kharif 2016 stood at 71.4 million acre feet (MAF) showing an increase of 9.0 percent over Kharif 2015 and 6.4 percent more than the normal supplies of 67.1 MAF. During Rabi  season 2016-17, the water availability remained  at 29.7 MAF, which is 9.7 percent less than  Rabi 2015-16 and 18.4 percent less than the normal availability of 36.4 MAF.

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