The share of livestock in agriculture growth has jumped from 25.3 percent in 1996 to 49.6 percent in 2006. According to the Livestock Census 2006, the higher growth in the livestock sector was mainly attributed to growth not only in the headcount of livestock, which is commercially important but also in the milk production.
The population of total animals registered a significant increase of 30 percent in 2006 when compared with 1996. Overall, the milk production increased by 35.6 percent in 2006 over 1996. Likewise, the total number of animals slaughtered registered 36.7 percent increase in 2006 over 1996, the census report said.
According to official sources, Agriculture continues to be the single largest sector, a dominant driving force for growth and the main source of livelihood for 66 percent of the country's population.
They said that it accounts for 20.9 percent of the GDP and employs 43.4 percent of the total work force. The official sources said that as such agriculture is at the center of the national economic policies and has been designated by the Government as the engine of national economic growth and poverty reduction.
Agriculture, they said contributes to growth as a supplier of raw materials to industry as well as a market for industrial products and also contributes substantially to Pakistan's exports earnings. Thus any improvements in agriculture will not only help country's economic growth to rise at a faster rate but will also benefit a large segment of the country's population, they remarked.
They said that the agriculture growth has experienced mixed trends over the last six year. The country witnessed unprecedented drought during the first two years of the decade ie (2000-01 and 2001-02) which resulted in contraction of agricultural value added.
Hence agriculture registered negative growth in these two years. In the following years (2002-03 to 2004-05), relatively better availability ofirrigation water had a positive impact on overall agricultural growth and this sector exhibited modest to strong recovery, they remarked.
The performance of agriculture, they said remained weak during 2005-06 because its crops sector particularly major crops could not perform up to the expectations.
Growth in the agriculture sector registered a sharp recovery in 2006-07 and grew by 5.0 percent as against the preceding year's growth of 1.6 percent. Major crops posted strong recovery from negative 4.1 percent last year to positive 7.6 percent, mainly due to higher production of wheat and sugarcane, they added. The official sources said that wheat production of 23.5 million tons is highest ever in the country's history, registered an increase of 10.5 percent over last year.
Sugarcane production likewise improved by 22.6 percent over last year to 54.8 million tons, both being record high production, they remarked.
Cotton production at 13 million bales remained mostly unchanged incomparison to 13.02 million bales of last year. They said that Rice production at 5.4 million tons was marginally less than 5.5 million tons produced last year. Despite the lower yield, higher demand abroad for Pakistan Basmati rice and high international prices are expected to surpass the last year's export earning from Basmati Rice, they added.
The officials sources said that amongst the other major crops, gram crop, exhibited an impressive growth of 75.4 percent in 2006-07 due to the increase in intervention price of the crop and good rains in "Thal" area where the gram crop is mainly concentrated.
They added that minor crops registered a weak growth of 1.1 percent while it was 0.4 percent last year. However, amongst the minor crops, production of potato increased by 67.2 percent, mung and masoor pulses improved by 21.5 percent and 17.9 percent respectively.
Livestock registered a strong growth of 4.30 percent over the last year's impressive growth of 7.5 percent due to increase in the livestock and poultry products.
Fishery performed positively at 4.2 percent though the previous year's growth stood at 20.5 percent. Forestry has decreased by 3.8 percent in 2006-07 while it had decreased by 43.7 percent last year, they remarked. The official sources said that Pakistan's agricultural output is closely linked to the supply of irrigation water.
Against the normal surface water availability at canal heads of 103.5 million-acre feet (MAF), the overall (both for Kharif and Rabi) water availability has been less in the range of 5.9 percent (2003-04) to 29.4 percent (2001-02). However, it remained less by 2.6 percent in 2005-06 against the normal availability. Relatively speaking, Rabi season faced more shortage of water than Kharif during these periods.
During the current fiscal year (2006-07), the availability of water for Kharif 2006 (for the crops such as rice, sugarcane and cotton) has been 6.0 percent less than the normal supplies and 10.8 percent less than last year's Kharif.
The water availability during Rabi season (for major crop such as wheat), as on end-March 2007 was estimated at 31.2 MAF, which was 14.3 percent less than the normal availability, and 3.7 percent more than last year's Rabi.
Sufficient water supplies coupled with timely winter rains in Rabi season had a good impact on Rabi crops particularly on gram, masoor and wheat as production of these crops increased by 75.4,17.9 and 10.5 percent, respectively.
Amongst major crops, cotton production estimated at 13.0 million bales for 2006-07 remained mostly same at the last year's production of 13.02 million bales.
Wheat production is estimated at 23.5 million tons in 2006-07, as against 21.3 million tons last year, showing an increase of 10.5 percent. Rice production has, however, decreased by -2.0 percent in 2006-07 from 5.547 million tons last year to 5.438 million tons in 2006-07, they remarked.
They said that Sugarcane production increased from 44.666 million tons in 2005-06 to 54.752 million tons in 2006-07, showing an increase of 22.6 percent.
As regards the minor crops, the production of potatoes, mung and masoor increased by 67.2 percent, 21.5 percent and 17.9 percent, respectively. The production of chillies, onion and mash decreased by 49.6 percent, 14.3 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively and the lesser production over last year is due to shortfall in area.
They said that Agriculture credit disbursement of Rs 104.844 billion during July-March, 2006-07 is higher by 15 percent, as compared to Rs 91.161 billion over the corresponding period last year.
The fertiliser off-take stood at 2825 thousand nutrient tons in July-March 2006-07 or lower by 5.6 percent, as compared to 2991 thousand nutrient tons for the corresponding period last year.
The offtake pattern of nutrients has changed in the country because of subsidy factor on phosphatic and potassic fertilisers. Nitrogen offtake has decreased by 12.0 percent while that of phosphate and potash increased by 14.2 and 63.6 percent, respectively during July-March 2006-07, they added.