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_: Agriculture, industry, and commerce are the three sectors on which every economy depends for its development. These sectors are mutually connected. Development and downfall of one sector become the cause of progress or regression of other two sectors.
Pakistan is an agrarian economy and therefore agricultural sector is comparatively more important for its economy than the other two.
Agriculture sector is of strategic importance for the economy because it provides livelihood to the people and raw materials to the industrial sector. Forty five per cent of total exports are contributed from agricultural sector. Twenty six per cent of GDP is contributed by agriculture, 52 per cent of total population of the country gets livelihood and 67 per cent of total population finds residential accommodation and employment directly from agricultural sector.
There are two crops in this sector namely Rabi (sown from April to June and reaped from October to December) and Khareef (sown from October to December and reaped from April to May).
The major crops of Pakistan are wheat, rice, maize, cotton and sugarcane and the minor crops include canola, onion, mangoes and pulses. Moreover, fisheries and forestry are also parts of agriculture sector.
The agriculture sector is facing various problems even though its contribution to the national income is dominant. Here, we highlight some of the problems that are the cause of agricultural backwardness and impede economic growth and development of the economy.
1. WASTE OF WATER: Rate of water wastage is very high in Pakistan. Archaic method of flood irrigation is being used due to which 50 to 60 per cent water is wasted. New system like drip irrigation has been introduced at different parts of the country which saves not only water from wastage but also provides water to the plants according to their need.
2. SOIL EROSION: Land is eroded through water and wind. Dry land is eroded by wind gust while barren land is eroded by water. Both of these problems exist in the province of Sindh. Trees and plants keep the land wet. There is acute shortage of forests and greenery in the province. A considerable area of land under cultivation is eroded ever year throwing land out of cultivation. No effective measures have so far...