Special Report | May 2026
by Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan
Pakistan’s food security challenge cannot be addressed through production targets alone. It requires a long-term national commitment to agricultural research, innovation, human resource development, and effective coordination among federal, provincial, academic, and private-sector institutions.
According to the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, Pakistan is among the countries facing serious food insecurity, with millions of people affected by acute food shortages. While Pakistan has made significant progress over the decades in increasing food availability for a much larger population, recent trends show that agricultural growth has slowed, climate shocks have intensified, and market failures have placed additional pressure on farmers.
Pakistan’s past achievements in agriculture were strongly linked with research-led innovation. The Green Revolution, improved wheat and rice varieties, expansion of irrigation systems, mechanization, fertilizer use, and the emergence of the poultry industry all contributed to national food availability. The development of heat-resistant cotton varieties, spring maize, and modern poultry production also shows how research can reshape entire production systems.
However, this momentum has weakened in recent decades. Agricultural growth, which averaged around 5 percent in the later decades of the previous century, has declined to nearly 2 percent in the current century. In 2025, the agriculture sector recorded very low growth, while wheat production dropped from its record level of 31.8 million tonnes in 2024 to about 29 million tonnes in 2025. This decline was linked to shrinking cultivated area, weak farm gate prices, rising production costs, and limited investment capacity among small farmers.
A major concern is Pakistan’s low investment in agricultural research. The country spends only around 0.16 percent of GDP on research, which is lower than India, China, and the global average. This weak investment affects the quality of research output, technology adoption, and the ability of institutions to respond to modern challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, seed quality, disease control, and food system resilience.
Need for Stronger Human Resource Development
Agricultural research depends heavily on the quality of scientists, faculty, field experts, and institutions. Pakistan’s earlier success stories were supported by trained professionals who contributed to wheat, cotton, maize, poultry, and other sectors. Today, the country has more than 60 universities and colleges offering agriculture and allied degrees, along with more than 200 research institutions. However, the system often lacks integration, direct research funding, and outcome-based performance measurement.
The article highlights that research output should not only be measured through academic publications, but also through practical impact in the form of improved varieties, better vaccines, new technologies, advisory systems, and field-level services for farmers.
Coordination Gap in Agricultural Research
The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council was created to coordinate national agricultural research, support international collaboration, and guide strategic research priorities. However, duplication and overlap between federal and provincial systems remain major issues.
A stronger national framework is needed where agricultural universities, research institutions, extension departments, and the private sector work as an integrated system. Leading agricultural universities around the world combine education, research, and extension under one umbrella. Pakistan also needs this model to bring research closer to farmers and industry.
Biotechnology, Seed Policy, and Future Crops
Recent policy developments offer a positive direction. The federal cabinet approved Pakistan’s first National Agriculture Biotechnology Policy and National Seed Policy 2025. These policies aim to increase crop yields through improved seeds, modern biotechnology, and partnerships with reputable seed companies.
The approval of 208 improved crop varieties during 2024-25 is another important development. These varieties cover wheat, rice, cotton, maize, fodder, oilseeds, and horticultural crops. At the same time, action against non-compliant seed companies is necessary to improve seed quality and farmer confidence.
Several future interventions can support Pakistan’s food security, including soybean cultivation, irrigated chickpeas, heat-tolerant wheat, determinate mustard varieties, livestock breed improvement, vaccine development, olive farming in Balochistan, agro-ecological zoning, and data-driven precision agriculture.
Soybean: A Future Kharif Crop for Pakistan
Soybean has strong potential to become a successful Kharif crop in Pakistan. It is essential for the poultry industry and is also an important source of edible oil. Pakistan spends more than $5 billion annually on edible oil and soybean imports, making local soybean development a strategic priority.
Research work through the Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, in collaboration with international partners, has contributed to soybean, chickpea, wheat, sorghum, cotton, and precision agriculture research. Such initiatives show how international collaboration and local research capacity can support national food security.
Food Security Also Requires Nutrition Security
Food security is not only about calories. Malnutrition remains a serious challenge, especially where diets lack diversity, education is limited, and traditional food patterns are changing. Poverty affects food affordability, but malnutrition is also linked with lifestyle changes, lack of awareness, and weak nutrition education.
The establishment of the Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre in 2021 is an important step in this direction. The centre has trained school teachers, lady health workers, health professionals, and village-level outreach partners to improve nutrition awareness across communities.
The Way Forward
Pakistan’s food insecurity is not due to lack of potential. It is largely the result of underinvestment, weak coordination, and insufficient focus on research-based governance. The country needs immediate reforms in agricultural education, research funding, seed systems, biotechnology, livestock improvement, nutrition awareness, and farmer-focused extension services.
A coordinated national agricultural research system can help Pakistan improve crop yields, reduce import dependence, strengthen the poultry and livestock sectors, and build resilience against climate and market shocks.
Source Credit: Based on the article “Research for Food” by Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission and former Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, published in The News on Sunday.