Punjab Paddy Sector Faces Declining Exports and Stubble Burning Challenges

Punjab's paddy sector is facing challenges despite optimistic claims from officials. Punjab Agriculture Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Mian said that paddy had been cultivated over 6.7 million acres this season and emphasized the importance of Basmati rice, calling it 'Punjab's identity.' He directed officials to guide farmers on modern harvesting techniques, ensure safe use of pre-harvest pesticides, and promote machine harvesting to reduce crop losses.

The numbers, however, tell a different story. Pakistan's rice exports for the current marketing year are projected at 4.8 million tons, about 8% lower than last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture's grain outlook. The decline is attributed to a stronger rupee, costlier export financing, regulatory hurdles, and intensifying competition from India.

The secretary also reiterated that the government's strategy to curb air pollution from crop-residue burning was being implemented 'as formulated,' but independent estimates suggest the scale of the problem remains large. Researchers estimate that between 3.6 and 5 million tons of rice residue out of a total of 8.5 million tons are still burnt each winter, contributing to air quality that costs Pakistanis an average of 4.3 years of life expectancy.