Ans: Khareef Crops of Pakistan:
Crops sown in summer and reaped in winter are called khareef crops. Our
important khareef crops are following: rice, cotton, jawar, bajra, tobacco,
sugarcane and maize.
(i) Rice:
Rice is one of our most important Khareef crop it is consumed domestically
and also exported in large quantities. Rice is grown on approximately tex
percent of our total cultivated land i.e. 25 million hectares. Our farmers
produce premium varieties of rice grown in the whole world. Hot and humid
climate is best suited for the cultivation of rice; it requires abundant water
and fertile and level land. This means that all cultivable areas of the Punjab
and Sindh are suitable for the cultivation of rice. Pakistan exported 3.3
million tons of rice in financial year 2020-2021.
(ii) Cotton:
Cotton is another cash crop which Pakistan exports in large quantity; cotton
textile is also one of our major exports. Semi-tropical climates, moderate
rainfall and fertile lands are best suited for the cultivation of cotton, which is
also known as ‘silver fiber’. Plains of Southern Punjab and Sindh provide
ideal conditions for the cultivation of cotton. It is plucked from October to
December. Our cotton yield is gradually decreasing. In 2013 Pakistan produced
13 million bales of cotton which came down to 7 million in the year 2021.
(iii) Millets (Jawar and Bajra):.
Jawar and bajra are two important millet crops of Pakistan. These are grown
in the areas of Dera Ghazi Khan, Tharparkar, Sanghar and Hyderabad. Our
annual bajra production is approximately 150,000 tons and jawar 225,000
tons.
(iv) Tobacco:
Tobacco is another cash crop grown in Pakistan, Cigarette companies are its
major consumer, 95 percent of tobacco producing area lies in the Punjab
and KPK. More than 50 percent of our total tobacco produce comes from
Swat, Mardan and Swabi districts of KPK, and 25 percent is grown in the
Punjab districts of Attock, Sahiwal, Gujrat, Vehari and Toba Tek Singh.
Tobacco is mostly consumed by the cigarette manufacturing industry.
(iv) Sugar Cane:
Sugar cane grows well in the fertile lands with plenty of water and high
cultivation of sugar cane. It is cultivated on vast canal irrigated lands of the
temperature. Soil with large calcium contents is more suitable for the
I used for making white and brown sugar and jaggery (gur). In 2021
Punjab and KPK. Harvesting starts in the month of February. It is mainly
sugarcane production was estimated at more than 80 million tons.
(v) Maize:
Maize is also one of the important crops grown in Pakistan. It is consumed
by humans and also used as animal fodder, Maize is an excellent source of
edible oil commonly known as corn oil. In certain areas of Pakistan two crops
of maize are grown in a year, one in the spring season and the other in July
and August. In the Punjab, maize is mostly grown in the districts of Sahiwal,
Faisalabad, Sargodha, Muzaffar Garh, Jhang, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi
Khan and Okara, in KPK, Kohistan, Peshawar and Mardan districts are
hybrid varieties of maize sorghum and millets, a research institute was
established in 1958 at Yousuf Wala near Sahiwal.