Agriculture

Made by Bakhtawar Saif

Agriculture
Main crops grown in Pakistan
 wheat
 rice
 cotton
 sugarcane
Wheat
Wheat is a staple food and is therefore
extensively grown mostly in the canal
irrigated areas of Punjab and Sindh. the
main wheat growing areas which meet
most of the requirements for wheat are
the Indus plain , whole of Punjab which
include areas of Faisalabad, Gujarat,
Multan, Okara , Sahiwal ,and
Nawabshah .
Cultivation method and uses of Wheat
As wheat is a Rabi crop, it is grown in the winter season .In October to
December , the field is ploughed . Wheat seeds are sown in the ground
directly. After one month, the first irrigation is required. Second irrigation
is done one month before harvesting. It takes a total of three months for
wheat to harvest after which grains are separated from the chaff and the
grains are stored ,sent for further processing or transported for sale.
Chaff is a by product of wheat and is indigestible by humans, but
livestock can eat it. So in agriculture it is used as livestock fodder, or is
a waste material ploughed into the soil or burned.
Rice
Rice are grown on a large scale for
commercial purposes in Punjab and
Sindh. In the northern hilly regions
small scale subsistence rice farming
is practiced. The main areas where
rice are cultivated are Shekhupur,
Sialkot, Gujranwala and Larkana.
Cultivation method and uses of Rice
Rice is a kharif crop so the seeds are sown in May/June and the crop is
harvested in October/November .Rice seeds are initially sown into beds
or nurseries. When the plant is about 9 inches high, it is transplanted into
the prepared fields which have flooded to a depth of 30 -37 cm. The rice
fields are kept full of water until the rice is ripe. Threshing of rice is either
done by draft animals or by a mechanical thresher. After threshing, rice is
taken to the rice mills for polishing and packing.Rice husks which are a
by product are used for making cardboard or covering roofs of houses
after mixing it with mud and water.
Cotton
Cotton is the most widely used textile fibre
in Pakistan and is grown in Multan,
Bahawalpur, and Sahiwal in Punjab ,
NawabShah and Sanghar in Sindh and
Lasbela in Balochistan.
Cultivation method and uses of Cotton
Cotton is a kharif crop so the seeds are sown in May/June. Field is
prepared by ploughing and the cotton seeds are sown at distance of
135mm to 150mm. First irrigation is done after one month of sowing
and second after further two months. Fertilizer and insecticides are
used. Picking is done in October/November after which the cotton
balls are loaded into trucks and transported to ginning mills for the lint
to be seperated from the seeds .The lint is tied up in bales for further
processing and the seeds are used as animal feed and for extracting
oil.
Sugarcane
Sugarcane is an important crop from
which sugar, brown sugar and gur are
made. Faisalabad, Nawabshah,
Peshawar, and Mardan are the main
areas where sugarcane is cultivated.
Cultivation method and uses of sugarcane
Sugarcane stalks 30cm high and 30 cm apart are planted in April/May .If the
land is well irrigated then the plants rise up to a height of 6-7.3 feet and the
crop can be rattooned and so harvested for 2-3 successive years. After the
sugar cane is harvested, it is immediately transported to the sugar mill
where its juice is extracted. It is further processed to produce white
sugar ,brown sugar and gur . Bagasse and molasses are the two major by-
products of this crop. Bagasse is used to make paper, chipboard, and
animal feed. Molasses is a valuable raw material for the production of citric
acid, cattle feed, bakers yeast ,synthetic rubber etc . It is also used as a fuel
in sugar factories.
Maize
It is a kharif crop grown in the summer season .The main
areas where maize is grown are Faisalabad, Sargodha
and Sahiwal in Punjab and Mardan, Mansehra, Bunair and
Swabi in K.P.K .It is used in the production of custard
powder, cornflour and other processed foods. It is a food
grain and a raw material for oil production. It is also used
as fodder for animals and poultry.
Pulses
Pulses are high in protein and therefore widely uses
in local diet. Some important pulses include Mash,
Masoor, Grams, and Mung. These are grown in
Bhakkar, Mianwali, Bannu ,Sialkot and Jacobabad. It
is a low-value crop so little attention is paid to it
before and after harvesting. It fertilizes the soil by
fixing nitrogen.
Millets
Jowar and bajra are two millets produced in Pakistan .Millets are a
kharif crop and does not require much rain . It can also grow on
poor sandy soils. The areas of cultivation of millets are Tharparkar,
Kohat , Attock, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Bahawalpur Millets are
fodder for animals, poultry and is also used as a food crop.
Oilseeds
The oilseeds produce include rape seeds, sunflower, soya
bean, sarson, mustard, sesame, rai, castor, and
linseeds .Oilseeds are uses for the extraction of edible oil
but Pakistan does not produce enough oilseeds. Only 32%
of the demand for edible oil is catered with local production.
Castor seeds and linseeds are used in industries . Oilseeds
are also used as a fodder.These are cultivated in areas of
Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Chakwal, Attock, and Khairpur.
Tobacco
It is mainly grown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in areas of Peshawer
and Mardan and in Punjab in areas of Sialkot and Multan. It is not
a food crop and is used for smoking in cigrattes and cigars.
Thank you