Uzair Bin Farid

In order to increase agricultural productivity and become a net exporter of food items, Pakistan will have to revamp its model of agricultural production, WealthPK reports.

Pakistani trade counsellor in the Beijing embassy recently remarked that Pakistan can act as the bread basket for the Chinese nation since it has enough arable land to produce food for exports.

Agriculture in Pakistan has seen its share in the national economy dwindling over the past years due to the growth of industrial districts and services economy. More and more people are leaving the rural hinterlands after selling their lands to move to cities. The pull factor in big cities is enticing as people who had been involved in agriculture for generations are now finding their income levels drop as compared to the same level of employment benefits in big cities.

Wage rates in cities have dropped because of surplus labour available. Also, the lack of adequate housing facilities has resulted in the emergence of huge slum areas where squatters have developed their own shanty towns.

This is not a result of a dynamic economy. Rather, it is a symptom of a problem in the model of growth that is being pursued with full zeal in Pakistan. Agricultural land is being sold off at giveaway prices to land developers who use their capital to turn that land into housing societies. In this way, precious land that could serve as a source to generate output, create employment, and earn precious foreign exchange for the country is being gobbled up to make huge profits in national currency.

The end result has been that Pakistan is left to import wheat and other products where it could have produced them not only for its own consumption but also for export.

Aspirations of Pakistan are commendable with regard to agriculture, but it is very important that a stern analysis of the realities on the ground is undertaken. Without objective analysis, it is not possible to turn challenging realities into shining prospects. Policy reforms in the housing market, and investment into green technologies are needed to turn around the market momentum that is currently going in the favour of housing societies.

In this respect, Pakistan can learn a lot from the model of agricultural growth being pursued by the Netherlands. It has a thriving agricultural sector that is able to earn massive foreign exchange for the country by exporting agricultural produce to the whole of Europe. Vertical farming and drip irrigation are only two of the many technological innovations which have allowed the Netherlands to push forward with its agricultural program.

Pakistan with its vast expanses of land, suitable climate and cheap labour can import technology to increase per acre yield by adopting best practices from around the world. If current trajectory is allowed to continue then we might see our precious agricultural land disappear in a few years.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk