Agriculture posts modest 0.56% growth in FY25

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agriculture sector posted a modest growth of 0.56 percent in FY2025 , reflecting resilience amid harsh climatic conditions, revealed the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25.

Contributing 23.5 percent to GDP and employing over 37 percent of the labour force, the sector’s performance was largely driven by a 4.72 percent growth in livestock, alongside a 1.42 percent increase in fisheries and a 3.03 percent rise in forestry. However, the crop sub-sector, traditionally the main growth driver, contracted by 6.82 percent, primarily due to a 13.49 percent decline in important crops and a 19.03 percent slump in cotton ginning.

Cotton production suffered the most, with cultivated area shrinking by 15.7 percent to 2.04 million hectares, and output plunging by 30.7 percent to 7.08 million bales. Yield dropped from 717 kg/ha to 590 kg/ha due to above-average monsoon rains, late sowing and climate volatility.

Wheat output also declined by 8.9 percent to 28.98 million tonnes, driven by a 6.5 percent fall in cultivated area and high temperatures, although yield remained above the five-year average at 3,193 kg/ha.

Sugarcane production fell 3.88 percent to 84.24 million tonnes despite a marginal increase in area, while rice output declined 1.38 percent to 9.72 million tonnes, even as area under cultivation rose by 7.2 percent. Maize production dropped 15.4 percent to 8.24 million tonnes due to reduced sowing area.

Despite these setbacks, other crops registered 4.78 percent growth, highlighting the potential for diversification within the sector. The volatile performance of major crops underscored the agriculture sector’s vulnerability to climate change, erratic rainfall, and input shortages. Experts stress the urgent need for climate-resilient seed technology, improved water management, farmer education, and policy support to ensure long-term sustainability and strengthen rural livelihoods.