Major Crops of Pakistan
Wheat, sugarcane, rice, cotton and maize are our main crops. Pakistan's economy, exports and foreign exchange depend mostly on these crops.
1. Wheat
Wheat is most important food crop of Pakistan. It is cultivated in all the provinces and regions of the country. The annual production of wheat in Pakistan is about 31.4 million tons. Larger proportion of wheat is grown in Punjab and Sindh respectively. Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Vehari, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab province, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Khairpur in Sindh province are important areas of wheat production. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Bannu, Charsadda and Mardan, while in Balochistan Province, Nasirabad, Khuzdar, Loralai and Kalat are important areas of wheat production in Pakistan.
2. Rice
Rice is the second most important food crop in Pakistan. It meets food requirements and an important source of foreign exchange. This year, rice production exceeded 9.9 million tons. In Pakistan larger portion of rice is grown in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Kasur, Lahore and Okara districts of Punjab province. In Sindh province, rice is grown in Sukkur, Larkana, Canal areas of Guddu and Kotri Barrage areas. In addition to Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and Kurram Agency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rice is also grown in the Nasirabad area of Balochistan.
3. Cotton
Cotton production in Pakistan is estimated at 10.2 million bales in 2023- 24. In Pakistan, cotton is grown in the irrigated areas of Punjab and Sindh. It is cultivated on a very small area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The central and south regions of Punjab province are famous for cotton crop. The districts of Hyderabad, Badin, Sukkur, Thatta, Nawabshah, Nowshero Feroze, Ghotki and Tharparkar in Sindh play an important role in cotton production. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cotton is grown in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, while in Balochistan, cotton is grown in the canal irrigate cultivated areas of Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and Kalat divisions.
4. Sugarcane
White sugar, jaggery (gur) and jaggery powder (shakkar) are produced from it. Sugarcane production in 2023- 24 is 87.6 million tons. A part from irrigated areas of Punjab and Sindh Provinces, It is cultivated in Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Mardan and Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. At present, the overall production of sugarcane is less than the demand which forces us to import sugar.