Lahore: Global food production has largely followed the pace of population growth, mainly due to technological progress and the introduction of high -performance seed varieties. Unfortunately, Pakistan has not equaled this global progress in agricultural productivity.
In 1961, the world supported a population of 3.5 billion inhabitants by cultivating 1.37 billion hectares of land. In 2011, the world’s population had doubled at seven billion, but the cultivated land had increased only by 12% to 1.53 billion hectares. Despite this, agricultural productivity has almost doubled, which led to a global food surplus. In 2025, the world’s population was 8.1 billion and food production tripled in relation to the levels of 1961.
The main contributors to this growth include the green revolution, which has introduced high -efficiency varieties (HYV), chemical fertilizers and improved irrigation systems. Pakistan participated in the Green Revolution in the mid -1960s, but gradually lost contact with the current world innovations. Mechanization – thanks to the use of tractors, crops and other machines – has increased efficiency elsewhere, but most Pakistani farmers have not yet adopted these practices. Pakistan has one of the lowest number of tractors by hectare, and the mechanized harvest is minimal, resulting in significant post-harvest losses due to manual collection.
The use of fertilizers and pesticides initially increased yields in Pakistan, but the cost increase made them unaffordable for many farmers, which leads to reduced use. Globally, scientific reproduction and genetically modified seeds have improved resistance to crops with drought, pests and diseases. Some progressive farmers in Pakistan are starting to adopt hybrid seeds, especially for iri-riz and corn varieties, where productivity has improved. However, wheat – our basic culture – continues to underperform.
Although agricultural productivity in Pakistan has not decreased, its growth has slowed down and current yields are lagging behind global references. For example, middle wheat yields in Pakistan vary from 2.8 to 3.1 tonnes per hectare, against more than 3.5 tonnes worldwide and 5.5 tonnes in China. In addition, Pakistan lacks adequate storage facilities, efficient logistics and modern commercial practices, contributing to higher losses after harvest. On the other hand, countries exporting agricultural products have considerably minimized these losses.
Although global food production continues to go beyond population growth, these progress is uneven between regions. According to FAO, global food production provides sufficient calories and nutrients, but uneven distribution leads to hunger in certain regions. Pakistan produces enough food to feed its population, but a large part of the population faces food insecurity due to unequal access.
Several factors contribute to the slow growth of Pakistan agriculture, including varieties of obsolete seeds, poor water management and insufficient popularization services. Urban sprawl, housing developments and industrial encroachments have also reduced arable land – more than 200,000 hectares have been lost in Punjab alone in the past two decades. In addition, plowing and salinity have made more land unproductive.
Climate change now represents a serious threat to the agricultural productivity of Pakistan. The country is poorly prepared to take up this challenge, having failed to develop resilient seeds in the climate due to the limited investment in research and development. Decision -makers must act urgently or risk generalized food insecurity across the country.
