Minimizing productivity gaps of major crops by improving farmers’ knowledge, adoption of recommended packages and investment in Pakistan

Abstract

Crop sub-sector has the second largest share in agricultural economy of Pakistan. Improvement in productivity of major crops is urgently needed for enhancing food production, and sustaining the crop sub-sector’s share in agricultural GDP. Through this research study productivity gaps of major crops viz. wheat, rice, maize, cotton and sugarcane in the country have been determined. Along with this, farmers’ knowledge gaps, adoption levels of recommended production packages and investment gaps in the adoption of these packages have also been ascertained. The research is based on primary data collected from 639 farmers of major crops selected through purposive random sampling technique. Added feature of the study is bifurcation of productivity gaps into research and extension gaps. It is found that productivity gaps in Punjab province, are ranged from 28.0% for spring maize to 63.0% for sugarcane. Similarly, knowledge gaps of the farmers in Punjab province ranged from 25.8% in spring maize to 58.8% in sugarcane crop. In Sindh province, productivity gaps are ranged from 34.5% for coarse rice to 66.0% for sugarcane. While, knowledge gaps of the farmers in the province ranged from 54.7% for rice crop to the highest of 60.9% for wheat crop. Productivity gap is the highest for sugarcane crop in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (66.7%), with a lowest for wheat crop (44.8%). In the province, knowledge gaps of the farmers are ranged from 31.6% for maize crop to the highest of 54.7% for sugarcane crop. In all the provinces, investment gaps were the highest for sugarcane crop, ranged from 22.4% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 34.1% in Sindh province. It is found that investment gaps for adoption of recommended production packages of major crops are much low as compared to productivity gains that can be obtained through adoption of these packages. Moreover, investment gaps mainly depend on food or cash nature of the crops including their production durations. Findings of the study are useful for devising suitable policy and programmes to boost and sustain production of major crops in the country.

Keywords: Adoption, Extension Gaps, Major Crops, Productivity, Pakistan, Recommended Technologies, Research Gaps