PROBLEMS FACED BY FARMERS OF PAKISTAN IN AGRICULTURE

By Rai Sammar Abbas 

Following are the causes of our backwardness


in agriculture:




1. Lack of Education Technical knowledge.


The farmers of our country are mostly un-educated and lack


technical knowledge .They are unable to understand the modern


scientific methods of agriculture and often remain ignorant of


good means to protect and increase their yield. Their production


is therefore low.


2. Lack of Capital and burden of debts


The majority of our farmers are poor and they often live in a hand


to mouth position. Most of them are always under heavy burdens


of debts. So due to lack of capital they cannot afford to purchase


modern scientific implements, chemical manures, improved types


of seeds etc.Hence they can not attain the required standards.


3. Stickness to the Old Traditional farming


Most of our farmers are still stuck to the old traditions of their


fore fathers. The circumstances have compelled them to use the


crude implements, because due to small holdings of land and


poverty they are unable to acquire and use modern scientific


methods. That is why their standard is lower than that of


cultivators in developed countries.


4.Water logging and Salinity the ailment to soil


water logging and salinity is increasing day by day. Due to


excessive use of canal water, most of our cultivated lands have


become victims of these two dangerous diseases. Every year,


salinity alone, is turning about 1,00,000 acres of arable land into marches and salt lands. Water-logging is no less injurious. On the


other hand the measures taken so far are quite inadequate for


such issues.





5. Uneconomical Land Holdings size


the small farmers are increasing in our country as the lands are


dividing generation by generation. So, there are large number of


farmers who own only 4 acres of land. These small farmers do


not get credit facilities to purchase seeds, pesticides, fertilizers


etc. Additionally, a large area of land is owned by feudals and the


farmers who work on their lands, are just tenants. This uncertain


situation of occupancy neither creates incentive of work nor does


attract capital investment.







6. Scarcity of Water for irrigation


Our farmers have to face many problems due to scarcity of water


which is one our major problems. Large tracts of


land estimated to be about 22 million acres is lying uncultivated


due to shortage of water. Rainfall is uncertain and the existing


irrigational facilities in our country are quite insufficient and need


to be extended.





7. Land Tenure System


The land tenure system of Pakistan has creates a chain of


intermediaries in between the state and the tenants. The system,


instead of being conductive to agricultural development, stands in


the way of its progress.


8. Soil Erosion a threat to soils


In some areas of our country, especially in hilly regions, the


upper fertile soil is being eroded by different natural agents of


change .Thus the fertility is poor and soils are becoming less


productive. 9. Lack of Organized Marketing/ regulated marketing’s


The marketing facilities for agricultural products in Pakistan are


still far from satisfactory level. Our cultivators cannot get


just prices for their produce due to defective marketing


organization. Moreover the chain of middlemen between the


producers and ultimate consumers take a heavy share of their


produce .Thus the cultivators do not take much real interest in


increasing their product too.


10. Pests and Crop Diseases break through


Due to lack of agricultural education and methods of modern


research, our farmers cannot control the various diseases of


crops and attacks of pests and insects. The result I


11.Poor Means of Transportation


The agricultural activities in our country are performed in rural


areas, but most of our villages have no road or railway links with


our markets. So farmers have to face innumerable hardships to


sell their products. Hence the farmers take very little interest in


their profession and production suffers.





12.Lack of Credit Facilities and access to farming


communities


The resources required for agricultural operation are


land,layout,live stock, farm equipment,


seeds,fertilizers,irrigation,transport etc.For the convenient and


timely procurement of these resources the farmers must have


easy access to credit. The A.D.B.P and commercial banks provide


loans to the farmers which are insufficient because our farmers


are very poor.

Rai Sammar Abbas