Rahema Hasan

Agriculture: Mocking the market economy

Government policies that keep prices of a particular crop too low may push farmers towards leaving their land unplanted. Updated 05 Aug, 2024 08:44am

The crushing burden of unplanned families

About 26.3pc of married Pakistani women want to prevent pregnancy but lack access to family planning methods. Updated 13 May, 2024 10:44am

Energy security through biofuels

Indigenous crops like maize and sugarcane can offer promising opportunities if their production and recovery rates are increased. Published 18 Sep, 2023 07:08am

Agriculture: Changing grain markets dynamics

Farmers now prefer selling their produce to traders/agents at the farm gate or directly to processors. Published 10 Jul, 2023 07:13am

Effects of currency devaluation on agri

Currency devaluation has increased crop production costs due to price hikes in agricultural inputs. Published 03 Jul, 2023 07:15am

From farm to fork

The scattered regulatory approach to reduce food loss and waste can’t yield tangible results Published 05 Jun, 2023 07:06am

Higher cropping intensity to ensure food security

Country’s per capita availability of arable land has decreased from 0.65 hectares in 1961 to just 0.14 hectares in 2020. Published 22 May, 2023 07:03am

Enhancing farmers’ market power

Govt should announce MSP for at least those crops where Pakistan has a comparative advantage along with sizable local production. Updated 15 May, 2023 09:50am

Surge of informal crop stockists

People with disposable cash are now storing produce, considering it a relatively low-risk income-generating activity. Published 01 May, 2023 08:23am

Blending for food security

Mixing 10pc maize flour with wheat flour would lower prices and decrease the balance of payment deficit. Published 17 Apr, 2023 07:04am

Mismanaging a big slice of the pie

Huge resource transfers caused by implicit taxes have adversely affected farmers’ income. Updated 03 Apr, 2023 11:07am

Regulating genetically modified organisms

Consumers demand a comprehensive policy and effective regulatory framework for GM crops that can ensure public health. Updated 12 Dec, 2022 08:55am

Growing garlic

Pakistan’s local production of garlic meets only two-thirds of its domestic needs. Updated 28 Nov, 2022 09:40am

Enhancing farmers’ income

New private investment in the agriculture sector is a prerequisite for improving productivity and achieving food security. Updated 31 Oct, 2022 08:46am

Looking for a new delivery model

The changing landscape warrants a new agri extension model where a farmer can get advisory services from a service provider. Published 24 Oct, 2022 08:29am

Options for Pakistan’s rice exports

Allowing the export of basmati rice but restricting other varieties will earn revenue and maintain food supplies. Published 11 Oct, 2022 07:43am

A viable solution

Keeping a record of vegetables sown and preventing oversupplying may be a more effective way to ensure fair prices than imports. Published 19 Sep, 2022 09:56am