Ans: Production and distribution of major crops of Pakistan:
The crops harvested in Pakistan are divided into 2 big groups according to
seasons: Rabi Crops and Kharif Crops.
Rabi Crops:
The season of Rabi Grops is from September to April. The crops mostly
grown are wheat, barley, Bengal grams and oil producing crops.
Kharif Crops:
The season of Kharif crops is from April to October. Its important crops are
rice, maize, cotton, sugarcane, sorghum and millet etc.
The details of Pakistan’s important crops are found below
Wheat:
Wheat is an important food crop of Pakistan which is the most favorite food
of the majority population. According to the agricultural experts, loamy.
clayey soil is very useful for the better production of wheat. The surface level
of land should be smooth for the supply of agricultural entrances equally to
all the crop fields. More than 2/3 of this crop is harvested in areas where
there is irrigation through canals. It is harvested on an area of nearly 8
million hectares every year. It is cultivated in the following type of areas: land
imigated by canals, desert, semi-deserts and mountain areas.
According to the facts and figures of the economic survey of Pakistan 2018-
19, more than 25.198 million tons of wheat was produced in Pakistan. There
are large regions of Pakistan where wheat is harvested such as:
Punjab:
Multan, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Bahawalpur,
Dera Ghazi Khan.
Sindh:
Sukkur Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Khairpur.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:
Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Bannu, Charsadda, Mardan.
Balochistan:
Naseerabad, Khazdaar, Lorelai, Kalat.
Rice:
Rice is an important crop of Pakistan. Favourable conditions for its
harvesting are hot and humid climate, continuous rainfall, fertile and soft soil
and level land. It is the second important nutritional crop of Pakistan. It fulfils
nutritional requirements and is an important source of eaming foreign
exchange. According to the facts and figures of 2018-19 the production of
rice is approximately 7.202 million tons. In Pakistan rice is cultivated the
most in Punjab in the districts of Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura,
Sialkot, Narowal, Kasur, Lahore and Okara. The regions irrigated by canals
in Sindh are famous for rice harvesting, Rice harvesting is also carried but in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Peshawar, Kurram Agency and in Naseerabad in
Balochistan.
Maize:
Maize is an important Kharif crop used for nutritional purposes and as fodder
for animals. It is harvested in the following areas: plains of Kohistan, the
fields of Peshawar and Mardan, in Pakpattan. Sahiwal, Faisalabad,
Sargodha, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Okara
in Punjab. It is used to manufacture corn oil, custard powder, popcom, and
jelly, etc. According to the facts and figures of the economic survey of
Pakistan 2018-19 the per annum production of maize in Pakistan is in
excess of 6:309 million tons.
Cotton:
Cotton is a cash crop of Kharif. It is being harvested in the Indus Valley since
3000 BC. Fertile soil with good drainage is very suitable for its harvesting.
The crop plucking second lasts from October to December. Of the total area
where cotton is harvested in Pakistan, % (75%) in Punjab and the rest is in
other provinces. Cotton crop provide raw material for manufacturing of cloth
and banaspati ghee industries. In Pakistan the important areas where Cotton
is harvested are:
Punjab:
Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Bahawalpur, Multan, Sahiwal,
Faisalabad, Sargodha and Lodhran.
Sindh:
Thatta, Badin, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Khairpur and Tharpakar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu.
Balochistan:
Naseerabad, Jafferabad, Kalat.
According to the facts and figures of the economic survey of Pakistan 2018-
19, the total per annum production of cotton is 9.8 million bales.
Sugarcane:
Sugar cane is a cash crop of Kharif. It is the biggest source of obtaining
sugar. Its growing requires excellent land and large quantity of water. Its
cultivation starts in the month of February. It is cultivated in canals irrigated
areas of the country. According to the economic survey of Pakistan 2018-19,
the total production per annum of sugarcane is 67.174 million tons. It is
harvested in the plains of Punjab and also in the districts of Peshawar and
Mardan.
Tobacco:
Tobacco is a source of raw material for the cigarette manufacturing industry.
Its harvesting requires very fertile soil. It is mostly harvested with the help of
irrigation. It requires fertilizers in large amounts. To some extent, tobacco is
sown in each district of Pakistan. But it is cultivated largely in Swat, Mardan,
Swabi, Attock, Sahiwal, Gujrat, Vehari, Toba Tek Singh, Sukkur, Kalat and
Mastung. According to the economic survey of Pakistan 2018-19, tobacco’s
total production per annum is 107 thousand tons.
Fruits, Vegetables and Pulses:
World famous date orchards are located in Multan, Khairpur and Kalat
Divisions. In Pakistan’s semi-dry climate, kinos, oranges and lemons are
grown. Multan is famous for its mangoes. Excellent quality apples, peaches,
cherries and pomegranates are grown in Quetta. Rainfalls mostly in winter in
Peshawar, Mardan, Hazara and Quetta Divisions-that is why apples,
almonds, plums, apricots, and pears grow there. Excellent vegetables are
cultivated in Pakistan such as potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, green
chillies, radishes, carrot, cucumbers, okra, gourds, turnips, aubergines,
peas, etc. Besides this, different varieties of pulses and oil seeds are grown
as well.