Sustainable Rice Production in Pakistan

Agriculture is still the largest sector of the economy of Pakistan in terms of labor participation livelihood of the majority of the population directly or indirectly depends on it. However, during the last few decades, its contribution to GDP has gradually decreased to 19.3 percent, however; there is a lot of potential in the sector to increase its share in GDP through increased productivity utilization of the latest agricultural technologies. Being the sector engaging the largest workforce and providing raw material to the most manufacturing sector, its development not only contributes towards achieving poverty alleviation but can also uplift the socio-economic structure of a major segment of the population. Last year, the performance of the agriculture sector improved over the last year and it performed better than other sectors. However, the challenges due to lack of mechanization, working capital, quality inputs, climate change, pest attacks, shortage of water & harvest losses kept agriculture production far less than the potential. One key issue related to agriculture is that the farmers have limited direct access to the market due to which the role of middleman remains crucial. Farmers normally do not receive the fair market price of their produce. In terms of potential, the agriculture sector has the capacity to not only produce for the domestic population but to have surplus production for exports, which can ensure food security as well as contribute towards foreign exchange earnings.

Rice is vital for millions of farmers who depend on it for livelihoods and sustenance. In Pakistan, Rice is an important cash crop of the country and the overall national economy. Rice accounts for 3.1% of the value-added. Rice ranks second amongst the staple food grain crops in Pakistan and it has been a major source of foreign exchange earnings among cereal crops. Rice provides 21% of global human per capita energy and 15% of per capita protein. Pakistan is among the major producers of rice. Every year, it produces an average of 7 million tones, and together with the rest of South Asia; the country is responsible for supplying 25% of the world's paddy rice output. More than 30 million Pakistanis, one way or the other, depend on rice for their employment, income, and livelihoods. Recently, Rice has been facing several challenges, which pose a serious threat to its productivity, sustainability, and export. The Rice industry is facing innumerable challenges concerning the environment and value chains.

Basmati rice is treasured around the world for its blessed characteristics of long slender grains that elongate twice of their original size with fluffy texture upon cooking, delicious taste, superior aroma (due to predominantly presence of a chemical, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline), and unique flavor. “Basmati” derives its roots in two Sanskrit words “Vas” meaning “aroma” and “Mati” meaning ingrained from the origin. Hence, the word “Basmati” means “the one containing aroma”. The aromatic, long-grain basmati rice is one of Pakistan’s premium exports. The distinctive qualities are due to a complex combination of factors including its inherent genetic characteristics, the environmental conditions specific to the soil, climate, and the growing practices that farmers developed over the centuries. Consequently, there has been a limited success to cultivate basmati rice outside the Subcontinent because of varying geographically specific conditions. It is the main livelihood for more than 730,000 families; nearly all of the farms are in Punjab.

Challenges

• Most of the farmers (88%) are resource-poor with small l& holding (5-10 ha) & following the traditional practices with no access to working capital, quality agricultural inputs & farm mechanization
• Continuous use of existing susceptible varieties losing genetic purity, declining yield (even claimed yield potential reported from research sites never replicated at farm level), high cost of production, low productivity & shortage of farm labor making rice cultivation less profitable & compelling farmers shift to other alternate profitable crops.

• Lack of R&D places the rice sector in a reactive position, rather than proactively preparing for shifting dynamics. The knowledge gap between the researcher & farmers on improved agronomic practices is widening due to a lack of coordination between farmers & research.
• Unavailability of certified seed from a trustworthy source & the conventional mindset of farmers to multiply their own seed for years without caring purity, genetic variability, productivity & susceptibility to environmental impacts.

• Manual transplanting of rice results in increased cost of production delayed transplanting (due to shortage of labor) & less plant population (45,000-50,000) than the optimum (80,000 plants & 2 plants per hill) reducing productivity.
• Mechanization is a crucial input for agricultural crop production & historically neglected in the context of Pakistan’s farmers’ capacity building & farmers are still following the traditional agricultural practices as per their forefathers which ultimately reduced the ability to cultivate sufficient land & achieve efficient yield.

• Lack of mechanization, optimal plant density, the high cost of groundwater extraction, unavailability of labor & its high cost during peak sowing season make things harder for rice farming.
• Crop lodging & early harvest of late-maturing rice varieties with wheat combine harvesters prematurely leading to increased post-harvest losses, residue burning & infestation of mycotoxins aggravated by sun-drying or improper drying & storage facilities.

• Late maturity of rice has also hampering timely sowing of the next crop & crop residue burning for instant land preparation is polluting the environment in the form of smog at harvest of rice crop.
• At the processing level, the majority of rice mills still use outdated, non-automated, energy-inefficient machinery, with unqualified operators working seasonally (few months per year during the paddy season).

• New restrictions of the EU after the revision of MRLs due to high pesticide usage & heavy metals residues have affected the exports of rice in European markets.

Solutions

• Strengthening & streamlining of the rice sector for improving the livelihood of rice farmers & higher export earnings by ensuring healthy, genetically pure & certified seed with the collaboration of well-reputed seed companies & FSCRD.

• Exploring the potential to increase productivity & sustainability through promoting farm mechanization services in r ecosystem by improving the resource efficiency (Grow More with Less) of the upstream segment & its effective integration with midstream & downstream segments of the value chain.
• Compliance of global rice standard of Sustainable Rice Platform (co-convened by UNE & IRRI) & verified by (GLOBAL G.A.P. at farm level) for addressing all challenges (People, Planet & Profit)

• Transformation of manual transplanting into mechanical transplanting by establishing service-providing units & strengthening local service providers for timely & cost-effective services. 
• Agriculture services should be recognized as an industry with proper incentives like exemption of sales tax on rental services of agricultural machines, income tax relief & investment loans to create local jobs significantly.

• Demand stimulation incentives to farmers through service providers on subsidized rates as a starter should be offered for the initial period; after that, if the service has value, it would sustain on a commercial basis without subsidy as well.
• Contrary to popular belief that it is minimal customs duty on the import of agricultural machinery, the landed cost is 1.4 times the C&F value of the equipment needs to be addressed for a given period to allow the import.

• Well trained front end (operators) & back end (mechanics & technicians) along with the availability of cost-effective spare parts is very crucial to keep the life cycle cost of operations lower in addition of an effective deletion plan to develop local parts of machines leading to cost-effective local manufacturing of the machines.
• Govt. should consult the private sector for importing the right type of precision machinery & linking of service providers with leasing companies/banks so that credit support is available at reasonable interest rates.

• A premium over market price should be offered for paddy better than the mutually agreed quality standard & a penalty should be imposed if paddy found below the standard enforced through market committees under the jurisdiction of Pakistan Agricultural Marketing & Regulatory Authority (PAMRA).
• The availability of rice specialized harvesters to small farmers during the peak season will minimize residue burning & its contribution in smog during harvest compare to lodging FIRs of farmers.

• Major stakeholders should collaborate for efficient coordination & better access to market information, real-time field data, & diagnostic advisory service for improving productivity through ICT tools between all rice stakeholders to plug in missing links.
• Major focus on phasing out of sun drying of paddy & periodically improving the storage & drying infrastructure of the rice industry required immediate attention of financial institutions.

• Sensitizing pesticide companies, pesticide applicators, retailers, & farmers for the introduction & responsible usage of approved pesticides from non-counterfeit source & observing Pre Harvest Interval (PHI) avoid MRLs in grains.
• Concerted efforts should be made in collaboration with public-private sectors for implementing Pakistan Climate Change Act, 2016, Water Policy 2018, Punjab Agriculture Policy,2019 & Water Act,2019.