PAKISTAN has been facing wheat shortages every now and then, which is a pity in view of agricultural resources that the country has. This is specially surprising because wheat is commonly considered a cash crop in Pakistan, which means farmers would love to opt for it rather than any other crop. And yet, the country faces shortages. As things stand, Punjab is the largest wheat producer, followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Data suggests that nearly 72 per cent of staple food demand in the country is fulfilled through wheat production.

But in the last few years Pakistan has faced several natural and man-made climate-related catastrophes, like heavy rains and floods, that have affected the crop badly.

Practically speaking, Pakistan has yet to recover from those losses, and that explains the current shortage of wheat in the country.

It is high time Pakistan looked for alternative crops, such as barley, for future production. Barley, a rich source of protein containing essential amino acids, is a crop of antiquity, and has been cultivated in the region for thousands of years. Compared to India which produces over 1.5 million tonnes of barley every year, Pakistan produces around 40,000 tonnes.

It makes sense to make the move towards converting barley into an alternative crop for the farmers. Its harvesting season is from October to March, depending on the weather conditions. As Pakistan is already facing issues,

like salinity, drought and shortage of freshwater for cultivation, barley cultivation on a large scale will be a suitable option to feed the increasing population. After the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment, agriculture is a subject falling under the domain of provinces. Therefore, provincial agriculture research departments must motivate the farmers to grow barley varieties as an alternative crop to wheat.

Pakistan surely has the potential to produce enough barley to meet its own needs, and may even export it if the effort is sincere and professionally directed.

Musadiq Manzoor
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023