Pakistan is facing economic crisis. To meet its financial needs, Pakistan keeps requesting loans from other countries. Sometimes he keeps pleading in front of the International Monetary Fund and sometimes in front of America. There is sometimes a shortage of wheat and sometimes of rice. Due to this, the prices of wheat, flour and rice keep skyrocketing, but now a big crisis has hit Pakistan. There is a huge shortage of pulses in the country.
According to The Express Tribune (TET) report, agricultural experts Pakistan Deep concern has been expressed over the continuous decline in the production of pulses. He warned that the country is spending about $980 million every year on imports to meet local needs.
President of Punjab Pulses Importers Association and Chairman of Grain Market, Rana Muhammad Tayyab, said that before 1998, Pakistan was one of the top exporters of pulses. However, the ban on exports during Musharraf’s time broke the morale of farmers, as pulses became a less profitable crop.
Pakistan imports 80 percent pulses
He further said that the country’s annual consumption demand is about 1.62 million tonnes, out of which about 1.07 million tonnes comes from imports. He said that this shows the weak performance of the Federal Seed Corporation. Success has not been achieved in creating heat tolerant and strong pulse seed varieties.
Read this also- Helpless on the border, in ruins in the field and its reputation falling in the eyes of the world, is Pakistan in its worst phase?
Because of this, about 80 percent of the pulses used across the country are imported. Tayyab also told about the impact of climate change on agricultural production. He said that in rain-dependent areas, timely rains can increase the yield by up to 35 percent, while less rains cause huge losses and farmers shy away from growing pulses in the next season.
Pakistan is in dire straits due to shortage of pulses
On the occasion of World Pulses Day, these issues were discussed in a seminar held at the Pulses Research Institute of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI). The report said experts observed that Pakistan’s annual requirement is about 1.5 million tonnes, but domestic production meets only a small part of this need, forcing the country to import about one million tonnes every year.
Also read- The condition of poor Pakistan is dire, now it is going to sell its airline; Pak Army also in the field
Khalid Hussain, Chief Scientist, Pulses Section, AARI, stressed the importance of pulses for both human nutrition and soil fertility. He further said that due to the ban on export, farmers are hesitant in cultivating pulses. The report further states that with the aim of promoting the cultivation of pulses, a draft PC-1 proposal has been prepared and submitted to the concerned authorities, but it is still awaiting approval.