Revista Internacional de Economía y Ciencias de la Gestión

LAND DISTRIBUTION, TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES AND P RODUCTIVITY IN PAKISTAN’S AGRICULTURE: SOME EXPLANATIONS AND POLICY OPTIONS

Abstract

Muhammad Mahroof Khan , Jianhua ZHANG , Muhammad Saim Hashmi Muhammad Saim Hashmi

This paper investigates the structural change, technological innovations and performance of agriculture in Pakistan from historical perspectives. We used data spanning from1948-2008. The data shows that land reforms introduced in Pakistan have not made any significant increase in the cultivated area. Only slight change has occurred in the early seventies. However, they seem to have induced conversion of large into small farms. As such, the proportion of area under small farms has increased and the ratio of tenancy to ownership has decreased to some extent. Modern input had the increasing trend in early seventies. The use of modern varieties of rice and wheat has increased more in Punjab and Sindh than in other provinces. Similarly, the use of fertilizer and pesticides has also increased overtime. The credit extension in input subsidies has also increased in the same period. The data also show that the application of new verities of seeds (Irri rice and HYV wheat) and improvement in agricultural technology are key source of land productivity growth in Pakistan.