"Basic Survey on Agricultural and Rural Development in Pakistan"

by

Dr. Shigeto Kawano,

Professor Emeritus,

The University of Tokyo

DR. SHIGETO KAWANO:

Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure for me to take this opportunity to present my view on the problem of the agricultural development of Pakistan. Based on the latest survey conducted by APDA of Asia, I couldn't join the field trip so my information about our agricultural development of Pakistan is very limited. So, it could have been said that it would be great for me to present my view in the presence of the delegates from Pakistan.

So, frankly speaking, I think I have to ask for a critical suggestion from the delegates of Pakistan. So, anyway, allow me to read my paper. prepared beforehand.

Summary of Survey Result

The agricultural productivity of Pakistan is low even when compared to that of its neigh-boring country -- India. The main reasons for the low productivity of agriculture can be attributed to deterioration of soil caused by salt damage and insufficient supply of water through agriculture. It must be said that the prospect ofthis low agricultural productivity being able to support the country's population which is increasing at an annual rate of 2.9010 is very difficult. The majority of Pakistan's land belongs to the arid region and its natural condition is such that the volume of evaporation exceeds that of precipitation. As this signifies that such agriculture, that is entirely dependent on rainfall, can only secure extremely low production -- irrigation using rivers and groundwater will have crucial importance in the agricultural development of Pakistan. Therefore, the analysis in this survey focused on clarification of natural conditions of Pakistan and on the intricately connected issue of salt damage and irrigation.

The Punjab Region, which is the largest granary in Pakistan, has been known since the old days as the breadbasket of the world and holds a vital position in the agricultural production of Pakistan. The Punjab Region is a vast region that extends around the tributaries of Indus River, and was divided into the Punjab States and Haryana States of India and to the Punjab Province of Pakistan as a result of the division of India and Pakistan in 1947. Owing to the irrigation network that was built during the British settlement, the Punjab Region boasts a high irrigation rate of close to 100%. Nevertheless, salt damage, which should be preventable with abundance of high-quality agricultural water, has been recently occurring seriously in this region where irrigation is so prevalent, and poor maintenance and operation of the irrigation network considered to be one of the major causes of salt damage and water logging.