Pakistan Rice: A Glimpse

Economy of every country depends on three sectors i.e. agriculture, industry and commerce. These three are strongly related with each other as the progress or revert of one sector effects the other two. Pakistan is an agricultural country thus agriculture outputs have much importance than any other sector. Importance of agriculture sector is manifold as it provides feeds, raw material for industry and is a base for foreign trade.

Rice is the second most important crop which makes economic prosperity of the growers/farmers as well as earns billions of rupees through its export for country. Rice plays a key role in the agro-based and occupies a prominent position in agricultural economy of the country. Pakistan is the 11th largest producer and 4th largest exporter of rice. Rice accounts for 3.2% of the value added in agriculture and 0.7% of GDP in Pakistan.

Sown on 2.89 million hectares (about 10 per cent of total cropping area), it earned $2 billion (around 8pc of export income) for the country.

Put it in the agricultural context, it is second to wheat in acreage and, in economic terms, only second to cotton (and its allied products as per Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data) in export earnings. It accounts for 3.1pc of value-addition in the agriculture sector and varyingly contributes 1.3-1.6pc to the GDP.

Last year, it assumed added significance when production hit 7.4 million tonnes placing Pakistan on the list of the 10 largest producers on the world rice chart. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan (2017-18), the area under rice increased by 6.4pc — 2.74 million hectares in 2016-17 to 2.89 million hectares and production swelled by 8.7 percent — from 6.84 million tonnes to 7.44 million tonnes.