Pakistan Agriculture News / Discussions

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Livestock is the faster-moving countryside​

A final finding receives too little attention: livestock has expanded much faster than crop acreage. Between the livestock censuses of 2006 and 2024, cattle numbers increased by 89 per cent, buffalo by 75 per cent, sheep by 68 per cent and goats by 78 per cent.

Taken together, these four major species rose by about 78 per cent. The number of in-milk cows increased by 140 per cent and in-milk buffalo by 111 per cent.

By comparison, between 2010 and 2024 cultivated area grew by 24 per cent, cropped area by 22 per cent and orchard area by 42 per cent. The periods and units are different, so this is not a direct productivity comparison.

It nevertheless suggests that the livestock economy is becoming an increasingly important source of rural resilience, household assets, nutrition and cash income.

Policy still treats livestock as an appendix to crops. Veterinary services, feed markets, breeding, disease surveillance, milk collection and cold chains should move much closer to the centre of agricultural planning.

 

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Early cotton arrivals hit record 527,900 bales​

Amjad Mahmood
July 19, 2026

LAHORE: Pakistan’s cotton arrivals increased by a record 77.3 per cent by July 15 compared to the same period last year, marking the strongest early-season recovery in years.

However, experts warned that adverse weather, rising input costs, and the deepening crisis in the textile industry could still threaten the final crop output.

According to the first production report for cotton season 2026-27 released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) on Saturday, total seed cotton arrivals at ginning factories reached 527,900 bales by July 15, up by 230,149 bales from 297,751 bales recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Cotton Ginners Forum Chairman Ihsanul Haq said Punjab contributed 201,497 bales, an increase of 38.9pc over last year, while Sindh recorded a remarkable 326,403 bales, registering a 113.8pc rise. Balochistan also posted a 90pc increase, with arrivals rising from 5,100 to 9,700 bales.

Sindh output doubles, Punjab’s jumps 38.9pc