The illustrations of district-wise yields in Sindh and Punjab look like a patchwork. Only one district in each region has champion yield, with majority concentrated near the averages. But pay close attention: while the maps may be color-coded the same, the yield scale for Sindh is higher by nearly 1.6 times!

But even intra-province yield-comparisons may be misleading. Above average yield in Sindh for example, appears to be concentrated in northern- and central districts, beginning near the Kashmore and Jacobabad border region, down to Shikarpur.

This contiguous region, together with rest of the Larkana division, in fact, is known as Sindh’s rice belt, and contributes more than two-third of Sindh’s paddy production. Yet, Sindh has precious little paddy production in the southern region, where the champion yield is concentrated in Badin. Even though the district has the highest country-wide yield, it contributes less than 15 to average paddy output.

The stark difference in champion yields and crop concentration in fact indicate two disadvantages to Pakistan’s rice potential. First, Pakistan’s flagship rice variety – basmati – is concentrated in the north-eastern border of Punjab, popularly known as Pakistan’s basmati bowl.

Although the region is home to most of Punjab (and Pakistan’s) export-oriented rice potential, its basmati yield is lower when compared to region such as Lodhran and Toba Tek Singh within the province. Meaning that while the region may historically have been deemed most suitable for premium rice cultivation, growers in other less conducive climatic zones manage equally productive yields if not more.

Second, from a logistics perspective, the Gujranwala rice bowl is located at the farthest distance from seaport, resulting in increased freight cost for export-oriented producers and millers. The Sindh story is not quite dis-similar, where the Irri-6 and Irri-9 are more popular. While the variety may fetch lower premium compared to basmati in international markets, it is not entirely devoid of export-potential.

In fact, Irri-varieties have dominated rice export volume for all of last decade. Yet the rice bowl of Kashmore-Jacobabad-Ghotki is located at the northern-most hinterlands of provincial border, farthest away from Karachi port.

The other more revealing factor is how traditional agro-climatic zones for major crops hardly ever record highest-ever yields. As small-scale growers dominate farming across the length of the country, even in climatic-zones most suitable to a particular grain, average yield inadvertently falls.

Pakistan’s district-wise crop yields actually reveal the strength of its progressive farmers, who manage target yield even outside traditional crop belts.

Source: Punjab Agriculture Directorate; Sindh Development Statistics.