Written By: Younus Sandeela | Published in “Pakistan Today” on March 26, 2020 Luxury of time is not there Pakistan’s dependence on agriculture is huge, far bigger than we realize. The sector’s contribution to national GDP is close to a quarter. A huge percentage of exports directly or indirectly depend on agriculture. The sector also...
The country is not used to dangers to its food By: Younus Sandeela Blessed with a huge agricultural base, Pakistan has always been a food-surplus country, However, factors like climate change, diminishing water resources, and failure to build the country’s agriculture on modern lines; are causing this advantage to erode rapidly. And for a country...
In the long run the sector could benefit from suspending trade with India By: Younus Sandeela Lack of investment in modern technology, weak government policies and unfavorable natural conditions kept Pakistan’s date sector from developing into a profitable industry. With around 600,000 metric tons in annual production, the date happens to be a significant horticulture...
Agri planners in Pakistan oblivious to the great opportunity By: Younus Sandeela The history of Pakistan agriculture is filled with missed opportunities. Be it the case of exploiting the coastline to produce exotics like tiger shrimps or putting Pakistan’s fruits and vegetables on the shelves in the high-end markets, Pakistan has missed one opportunity after...
By: Younus Sandeela What about the heat itself? I am not a scientist and therefore, prefer to accept scientific theories as they are presented. I have always been happy to leave the issues like “what exists beyond the Black Hole” and “whether life exists on other planets” for scientists to figure out. I did this...
By: Younus Sandeela Published in Daily Dawn PRICES of all types of meat have constantly been rising in the local retail market owing to a widening supply and demand gap defying the official numbers in the absence of a regular livestock census. There are sufficient reasons to question the accuracy of the official statistics because...
By Younus Sandeela Published in Pakistan Today All interventions must be made simultaneously Agriculture happens to be the most misunderstood sector of the economy. Unfortunately, we still see it as the “profession of villagers”. Our subsidy-centric approach to supporting agriculture has backfired and has severely restricted growth. The seemingly impressive contribution of agriculture to national...
By: Younus Sandeela Published in Daily Dawn This year the country has received far more rains and snowfall than usual. This is a blessing considering the precarious water situation that existed due to an unusually prolonged dry spell that the country experienced over last many years. Thanks to heavy winter rains and melting of snow...
By: Younus Sandeela Published in Daily Dawn Pakistan’s coastal belt that stretches over a thousand kilometres has a lot more to offer than scenic beauty and deep ports. Climatic conditions in the area are extremely suitable for modern aquaculture. Exploiting its potential will not only revolutionise the local economy but also contribute towards GDP growth....
By: Younus Sandeela Published in Daily Dawn Informal credit and the ease with which it is available are the biggest menace prevalent in the agricultural sector since it has kept farmers hostage to money lenders from pre-partition era. Referred to as aarti in domestic lingo, the phenomenon of borrowing for the middleman is common not...
