Closing yield gaps may boost economy, rural development

LAHORE: The gap between progressive farmers and a majority of small farmers varies from 79 percent to 45 percent in Pakistan, whereas global yield is much higher. Reducing that gap and increasing yield could be one of the shortest ways to boost Pakistan’s economy.

Progressive of farmers in Pakistan obtain an average 4.6 tons of wheat per hectare compared with national average of 2.6 tons/hectare. The national average also includes high yield obtained by few big progressive farmers, which means the average of small farmers was even lower.

On the basis of national average, the yield gap between the two is 43 percent. If our planners somehow induce common wheat farmers to adopt the techniques and procedures adopted by progressive farmers, wheat productivity could increase by at least 43 percent.

Since Pakistan is self sufficient in wheat, 43 percent of our land can also be spared for some value-added crops.

Cotton productivity gap is 30 percent in Pakistan between progressive and average farmers, whereas the difference in sugarcane yield is over 70 percent in Sindh and 61 percent in Punjab.

In the same way, progressive farmers produce 58 percent more maize than the average Pakistani farmer. In rice also the yield gap between progressive and ordinary farmers is 45 percent.

We may not achieve global level efficiency for a long time, but what our progressive farmers are doing can be replicated by the small farmers. These farmers need guidance.

Each province has an Agricultural Extension Department. The mandate of these departments is to guide the farmers on sowing time for each crop. They also advise the farmers on the type of fertiliser needed for each particular soil and crop.

It is the job of each extension department to timely inform the farmers about weather changes. These departments are required to find out the kind of pests that attack crops and recommend the drug to kill them in time.

They are also required to ensure the availability of certified seeds. These departments should promptly act against the supply of spurious pesticides, seeds, and fertilisers.

They should conduct fortnightly awareness campaigns in all villages or if possible on weekly basis to inform the farmers how to ensure a better and healthy crop. They are required to guide the farmers about proper levelling of land to minimise water use.

It is unfortunate that all provincial extension departments have totally failed to provide proper assistance to the small farmers. Even the agricultural implants that are placed by the state on their disposal are used by influential and big landlords, while they are denied to small farmers.

There are hundreds of agriculture graduates in these extension departments, but they seldom go on field duty. They can guide the farmers only if they go to the villages.

These departments think that making announcements through radio is enough to create awareness. They also distribute pamphlets to create awareness about the crops.

These pamphlets become useless if there is a change in climate pattern. The farmers need to be made aware of the impact of climate change on agriculture and each crop.

The agriculture extension departments are performing none of these duties. Like all other government departments, they have become white elephants.

Globally it has been recognised that agriculture flourishes best in countries where the agriculture extension services are the best. There is acute water shortage in the country.

The progressive farmers water their wheat crop three times during its production cycle, whereas most of the small farmers water their crops five times from sowing till maturation.

In the absence of advice from the extension departments, they continue to over water their crop that results in lower yield. It is high time that the provincial governments fully activate their agriculture extension departments through a policy of carrot and stick.

The nonperformers should be shown the door and those that achieve production targets in their region should be rewarded.

Pakistani agriculture has grown at less than three percent on average during the last 15 years. If we gradually close the productivity gap between the best and worst performers, we can easily grow at 10 percent per annum.

Our GDP growth would pick up to comfortable level. It will address rural poverty, and increase demand for various manufactured goods in the rural areas.