Climate-resilient agriculture, necessity not an option
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Climate-resilient agriculture, necessity not an option

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...

March 26, 2020May 29, 2022by
Is Pakistan’s food security under threat?
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Is Pakistan’s food security under threat?

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...

March 13, 2020May 7, 2020by
Blessing in disguise for Pakistan’s date sector
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Blessing in disguise for Pakistan’s date sector

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...

February 14, 2020February 29, 2020by
Industrial Hemp a great opportunity for farmers
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Industrial Hemp a great opportunity for farmers

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...

January 11, 2020January 11, 2020by
Global warming – a layman’s viewpoint
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Global warming – a layman’s viewpoint

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...

October 8, 2019January 11, 2020by
Organising the meat supply chain
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Organising the meat supply chain

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...

October 6, 2019January 11, 2020by
Roadmap to sustainable agriculture
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Roadmap to sustainable agriculture

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...

May 24, 2019January 11, 2020by
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Rains, snowfall and consequences

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...

April 15, 2019January 11, 2020by
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Aquaculture can uplift the economy of coastal belt

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....

April 1, 2019January 11, 2020by
Agriculture in Pakistan
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Agriculture in Pakistan

Agriculture is one of the biggest sectors of Pakistan economy. It contributes around a quarter to national GDP of Pakistan and employs around half of country’s workforce.Around 70% of country’s foreign exchange earnings depend directly or indirectly on agriculture. Pakistan’s agriculture sector is not only big but is fairly diversified too. Varied climatic zones which...

November 25, 2015January 11, 2020by