"Mechanization and Agricultural Transformation in Asia and Africa: Sharing Development Experiences: Pakistan", presented by S. G. Abbas, at NSD/IFPRI workshop on "Mechanization and Agricultural Transformation in Asia and Africa", June 18-19, 2014, Beijing, China

1. Mechanization and Agricultural
Transformation in Asia and Africa:
Sharing Development Experiences:
Pakistan
Dr. S. G. Abbas
Director (Farm Mechanization)
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
Islamabad - PAKISTAN

2. • Very Brief Status of Farm Mechanization in Pakistan
• Issues and Challenges
• Transformation in Farm Mechanization
• Solutions based on Experiences
• Recommendations.
Outlines of the Presenation

3.  Population: (June 2010) – about 180 Million
 Rural population: – 110.5 Million (about 63.7%)
 Geographical area: – 79.6 million ha.
 Contribution of Services Sector to GDP: – (53.3%)
 Contribution of Industrial Sector to GDP: – (25.2%)
 Contribution of Agric. to GDP: – 21.5%
 Major crops – (7.0%); Minor crops – (2.4%)
 Livestock – (11.4%); Fishery – (0.4%); Forestry – (0.3%)
 Total Size of the Agriculture Economy: Rs.3016.6 Billion
 Employment by Agriculture: – 45% of total labor force
 Cultivated area: – 21.21 million ha (70% canal irrigated)
 Highly diversified climate:- suit to cultivate a number of crops when
temperate ranges from 40 plus to minus 40 degrees from North to
South (2,200 KM).
Agriculture Economy of Pakistan

4.  Population --- Pakistan is 6th most populated country in the world
 Wheat --- 9th largest producer in the world, and 3.0% of GDP
 Rice --- 1.3% GDP, edge for Basmati rice
 Cotton --- 4th largest producer in the world, 1.6% GDP, major
export and agro-industrial crop, major source of employment in
value chains, Nearly 80% total cotton production took place in
Punjab
 Sugarcane --- 0.7% in GDP
 Livestock --- Pakistan falls in the top 15 most livestock populous
countries of the world. Pakistan ranks
 2nd in buffalo population; 13th in cattle population; 10th in sheep
population; 3rd in goats population
 Fruits --- Pakistan has comparative advantage in the production of
many dry fruits and Kinnow production in citrus family
Pakistan’s Position in the World Agriculture

5.  Major contributor in national economy as it is:
 The only provider of food to growing population – rising status
 Supplier of raw material to industries
Cotton to ginning and textile sector; Sugarcane sugar mills;
Wheat to flour mills; Other food grains to poultry and feed industries
Fruits and vegetables to processing industries; Wood to furniture
manufacturers and house building
 Largest source of employment in the country
 Source of industrial development
 Source of foreign exchange in the country
Export of cotton, yearn, textile, rice, fruits, vegetables, processed food
Importance of Agriculture for Pakistan

6. Farm Households & Farm Area Composition (%)
85% farm households cultivate nearly 45% of agricultural lands
Punjab and Sindh should concentrate more on marginal and small farmers
KPK should concentrate more on marginal farmers
Marginal, small and medium sized farms need more attention in Balochistan
Farm size Units Punjab Sindh KPK Baloch PAK.
Marginal
(upto 5 ac.)
% Farms 56.0 45.9 78.5 28.4 57.6
% Area 16.3 12.6 31.0 3.5 15.5
Small
(5 - 12.5 ac.)
% Farms 29.4 36.6 16.1 34.3 28.1
% Area 31.0 27.7 28.3 14.6 27.9
Medium
(12.5-25 ac.)
% Farms 9.5 9.6 3.2 20.0 8.8
% Area 21.6 16.5 12.9 17.9 19.1
Large
(25-50 ac.)
% Farms 3.9 5.4 1.4 10.3 3.9
% Area 16.5 17.7 11.1 17.4 16.3
Landlords
(> 50 ac.)
% Farms 1.2 2.5 0.7 6.9 1.6
% Area 14.6 25.6 16.7 46.5 21.2
Source: Agriculture Census, 2000

7. Cropping Patterns by Farm Size Groups (% Crop Area)
Crop types
Marginal
(upto 5 ac)
Small
(5-12.5 ac)
Medium
(12.5-25 ac)
Large
(25-50 ac.)
Landlord
(> 50 ac.)
All
Pakistan
Wheat 43.3 41.2 40.5 39.0 35.6 40.4
Rice 11.0 14.1 12.3 12.3 11.1 12.5
Cotton 12.3 13.4 15.1 14.1 14.0 13.7
Maize 8.7 3.5 1.9 1.6 1.7 3.7
Sugarcane 3.0 3.9 3.7 3.7 4.9 3.8
Potato 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.4
Oil Seeds 0.9 1.8 2.3 2.4 2.7 1.9
Pulses 1.7 3.3 6.1 9.4 11.3 5.4
Fodder 12.0 11.8 10.6 9.2 6.9 10.6
Vegetables 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.1 3.4 2.0
Orchard 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.6 4.0 1.6
Source: Agriculture Census, 2000

8. Current Prices of Tractors (with Taxes)
Model Pak. Rupees Approx. US$
(Range 55HP) 744,720 7,500
PW (Range 55 HP) 756,320 7,600
(Range 65 HP) 828,240 8,300
(Range 75 HP) 1,053,280 10,500
(Range 85 HP) 1,158,840 11,600
4 x 4 (Range 85 HP) 1,502,200 15,000
These are existing prices for MF and New Holland (the two most
popular tractors in market)
The proposed budget announced on 03 June, 2014 maintains the tax level
and prices are likely to be unchanged during July 2014 to June 2015.

9. Agricultural Mechanization
Issues and Challenges
1. Mechanization Policy and Strategy formulation (non-existent until now)
2. National Network of Agricultural Mechanization (needs revival)
3. Machinery Testing Lab. Accreditation (Needs improvement)
4. Drying & Storage (Storage capacity is an important issue)
5. Livestock Mechanization (Only poultry sector has adopted few
innovative technologies. Lots of work in Livestock sector is needed)
6. Mechanized Sugarcane planting and harvesting
7. Mechanization of Pulses crops

10. 8. Harvesting of Basmati Rice. The European 2nd hand wheat CH are
being used for Rice harvesting. This causes a lot of grain damage to
rice
9. Mechanized fruit and vegetable planting and picking
10. Up scaling of seed processing machinery.
11. Energy Efficient & Environment Friendly Technologies (Introduction of
Solar power for Agricultural purposes need to be encouraged)
12. Topography (laser land leveling can play double benefits. (a) Increased
water efficiency (2) Reclaim land for agricultural purposes
Agricultural Mechanization
Issues and Challenges

11. Transformation in Farm
Mechanization
Agricultural and Biological Engineering Institute
(ABEI)
Former
Farm Machinery Institute
(FMI)

12. 1985: Reaper-windrower: 35,000 units 1995: Zero-till Drill: 7,000 units
2002: Wheat Straw Chopper: 5,000 units 2002: Paddy Thresher: 6,000 units
Technologies Commercialized

13. Fertilizer Band Placement Drill 2009 onward: 8,000 (Punjab Govt.)
Technologies Commercialized

14. Mobile Flat-bed Dryer Olive Oil Extraction Unit
Milking Machine for Buffaloes Mango Picking Machine
Technologies Commercialized

15. Solar-cum-Gas Fired Dates Dryer Solar House Dates Dryer
Mobile Seed Processing Unit
Seeder For Combined Harvested
Paddy Fields
Technologies in Progress

16. Solutions based on
experiences

17. Experiences

18. Experiences (Government)
Government of Punjab (1980s):
• Rural Supply Cooperative Corporation’s (RSCC) established Farm
Services Centers (FSC) with facilities such as:
• Tractor sale and service
• Tractor and implements repair facilities
• Tractor rental facilities (within District)
• Lessons learnt:
• Over-staffing / under-staffing at certain locations (due to
Government’s job)
• Fix number of tractors / equipments (irrespective of number of
farmers at certain location)
• Fixed office timings (as that of Government) 8 AM to 2 PM with
Sunday OFF
• Lesser flexibility of prices, rental charges, etc.
• Non-professional attitude

19. Experiences (Private – Combine Harvesting)
Started from Punjab in 1987: With the financial back-up support from Agricultural
Development Bank (ADBP)
Contractors imported new / old combine harvesters from Italy, Germany, and
Holland with a minimum of FIVE Combine Harvesters (CH) in their stock:
• CH started working from South of Punjab where wheat harvesting starts
a month earlier than in the North.
• Engaged staff from rural youth to operate these CH.
• After-sale service is usually provided by the CH after-sale service staff
• In most cases advance booking of CH is done to operate at certain
locations.
• Within 2-3 years after introducing CH in private sector above 50% of the
Punjab wheat crop was being Combine Harvested.
• Smart contractors used the same combine for Rice harvesting, but
unfortunately WITHOUT changing the threshing mechanism / sieves,
tyres, etc. (that results in relatively more broken rice )
Lessons learnt:
• Formal training institutes are lacking to train CH operators, repair and
maintenance
• Dealers are making sky high profits on spare-parts

20. Experience
(During an assignment in Sudan 2011)
Government pools large number of farmer’s land and contracts it out
for multinationals / national firms for farming.
• The firms usually purchase larger tractors / farm machinery and
operates from a central place to cultivate the seasonal crops.
• The large capacity tractors and farm equipment carry lots of after-sale
service, repair and maintenance problems.
• The firms have tendency to leave and the expensive equipment / could
transform into junk as no local farmer can afford to buy or operate these
used machinery.
• Lessons learnt:
• Lesser local farmer’s interest as usually the large firms hire
their own technical and non technical staff
• Too expensive for developing nations

21. Recommendations
Developing Nations and their Government’s should support in
establishing “Contract Farming” through financial support to the
younger generation:
• By extending liberal credit line facilities to establish their own businesses
(Details are available on http://www.parc.gov.pk/index.php/en/2014-01-
22-03-26-43
• Encourage Tractor / Matching Farm Equipment Contractors:
• Encourage Combine Harvester Contractors
• Encourage Laser-land Leveling Contractors
• Introduce Full Package of “Transfer of Technology (ToT)” e.g. Rice
Transplantation technology – Nursery, Transplanting, Weeding,
Harvesting
• Legislative Cover on Farm Equipment Rental Service
• Establish Farm Equipment Operational Training Institutes (with the help
of Private Sector)

22. Thank you