Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e

PAKISTAN, a South Asian country facing the Arabian Sea, with 796,000 km 2 in area, is largely
mountainous and semiarid. However, on the eastern side, where Pakistan borders India, the
Indus River runs nearly the full length of the country. Most agricultural activities are concentrated
on its banks, as is most of the population. Arable land is around one-quarter of the
total. Agriculture occupies 44% of the workforce and accounts for 25% of the GDP. The main
crops are cotton and wheat.
General information
• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 1,860
• Internal renewable water resources: 88.1
km 3
• Incoming water flow: 410 km 3
• Main food consumed: wheat, meat, rice,
maize, and fruits
• Rice consumption, 1999: 14.6 kg milled rice
per person per year
Production constraints
Yield has increased steadily during the last five
years, but in 2000 it was still low. The major
constraints to sustainable rice production are
• Imbalance in the use of crop inputs
• The dominant use of varieties with high
grain quality (basmati), especially in the
Kalar tract
• Low plant populations
• Waterlogging and salinity
• Shortage of irrigation water
• Yield losses caused by insects, pests,
diseases, and weeds
• Inadequate and inefficient postharvest
operations
• Cold damage to the rice crop because of
cool air temperature and cold irrigation
water in northern mountain areas
Production season
Planting Harvesting
Main season May-Jul Oct-Nov
206 Rice almanac