Agriculture sector contributed 4.7 percent to GDP growth in 2008-09

[LahoreEstate]

RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (June 07 2009): Agriculture sector has contributed 4.7 percent in growth of gross domestic products (GDP) during the 2008-09 financial year. According to sources, the contribution of major crops is 7.7 percent attributed to 12.3 percent higher production of wheat, 25 percent of rice, 12 percent of maize, 60 percent of gram and 25 percent of sesamum during the current financial year.

The production of cotton has increased by 1.4 percent, but the production of sugarcane declined by 21.7 percent. The production of wheat is 23.42 million tons against 20.958 million tons last fiscal year.

THE WHEAT PRODUCTION IN PUNJAB: stands at 17.9 million tons;

Sindh: 3.542 million tons;

NWFP: 1.108 million tons; and Balochistan: 0.867 million tons. Total wheat cultivation area this year was 9.062 million hectares as against 8.54 million hectares last year.

The cotton crop production has registered 6.031 million tons in the current financial year as against 5.94 million tons last year. Punjab produced 4.46 million tons cotton; Sindh: 1.51 million tons; Balochistan: 45,500 tons cotton. Total cotton cultivation area this year was 2.81 million hectares against 3.05 million hectares last year. Cotton (lint) production was 11.819 million bales. Rice output during the current financial year is 6.95 million tons as against 5.56 million tons last year.

The rice crop production in Punjab is 3.64 million tons; Sindh: 2.53 million tons; NWFP: 0.128 million tons; and Balochistan: 0.64 million tons. The rice crop was sown on an area of 2.96 million hectares this year as against 2.51 million hectares last year. Pakistan produced 50.04 million tons sugarcane in the current financial year as against 63.920 million tons during last year.

The sugarcane output in Punjab has been recorded at 32.2 million tons; Sindh: 13.3 million tons; NWFP: 4.408 million tons; and Balochistan: 379,000 tons. The sugarcane crop area was 1.029 million hectares this year as against 1.241 million hectares last year.

Total production of Bajra for this year is 0.29 million tons; Jowar: 0.164 million tons; maize 4.035 million tons; sesamum: 41,000 tons; gram: 0.76 million tons; barely: 83,000 tons; mustard: 0.14 million tons; and tobacco: 0.113 million tons.

Fruit production during the current financial year was 7.399 million tons. The production of pulses declined by 8.9 percent from 0.280 million tons to 0.255 million tons during the current financial year. The production of pulses includes 13,500 tons mash; 21,100 tons of masoor; 0.157 million tons of moong. The production of vegetables this year has been estimated at 5.72 million tons as against 5.6 million tons during 2007-08.

The gross output in livestock sector increased from 3.4 percent to 3.8 percent in the current financial year in comparison to last year. Livestock products registered the same growth rate for the two years - 207-08 and 2008-09, ie 3.2 percent. Milk production value increased from Rs 361,673 million in 2007-08 to Rs 373,401 million in 2008-09. Poultry's growth increased from 6.6 percent last year to 11. 2 percent in the current financial year.

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