Oil seeds are used in making the vegetable ghee that is used in cooking and for animal fodder. Oil seeds are also put to industrial use. A number of different oil seeds are gown in Pakistan, the most important of which is the cotton seed, which accounts for 60 percent of total oil seed production.
Traditionally, the most important oil seeds produced in Pakistan are rape and mustard. These are grown so widely throughout the country that no one region can be earmarked as a rape or mustard region. Because rape and mustard are grown in conditions similar to that of wheat, their production is on the decline because they cannot compete with this more lucrative crop. They are grown in all four provinces, and the share of each province is in direct proportion to its cultivated area.
Groundnut, which is grown in barani as well as irrigated areas, is also an oil seed that is grown in Pakistan. It does well in good as well as poorer soils. It, too, fails to compete with wheat and is consequently grown only in northern and eastern Punjab and in the marginal lands of Sindh and the NWFP. Groundnut is not grown in Balochistan. It has registered a nominal increase in area and production recently.
Sesame is produced in Pakistan in small quantities. Punjab accounts for 90 percent of the acreage and production. Sesame is on the decline in the other three provinces, where it is grown in very small quantities.
Three new oil seeds have been introduced in Pakistan in the recent past. Sunflower, safflower and soya bean. Sunflower seeds have acquired some importance, particularly in Punjab, which grows 60 percent of the total crop, followed by Sindh, at 20 percent. Although safflower is not grown in Punjab or Balochistan, it has made some progress in Sindh. Soya bean cultivation is still in its early stages, but its plantation has already been abandoned in Punjab and Balochistan. Only a limited area of soya bean cultivation takes place in Sindh. The NWFP is the only province which produces and appreciable amount of soya bean.
Pakistan is deficient in oil seeds. Because local production only meets 30 percent of local demand, the rest has to be imported. In addition, the demand for oil seeds increases by 9 percent annually. In 1999-2000, for example, a sum of Rs 21402 million were spent on the import of edible oil. It was 2.4 times more than what was imported as recently as 1990-1. This is, therefore, an urgent problem which needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, however, there is limited cultivable land in Pakistan, so it is difficult for oils seeds to compete with wheat, cotton and sugar cane. Much research and effort is still required to increase the oil seed yield.
Traditionally, the most important oil seeds produced in Pakistan are rape and mustard. These are grown so widely throughout the country that no one region can be earmarked as a rape or mustard region. Because rape and mustard are grown in conditions similar to that of wheat, their production is on the decline because they cannot compete with this more lucrative crop. They are grown in all four provinces, and the share of each province is in direct proportion to its cultivated area.
Groundnut, which is grown in barani as well as irrigated areas, is also an oil seed that is grown in Pakistan. It does well in good as well as poorer soils. It, too, fails to compete with wheat and is consequently grown only in northern and eastern Punjab and in the marginal lands of Sindh and the NWFP. Groundnut is not grown in Balochistan. It has registered a nominal increase in area and production recently.
Sesame is produced in Pakistan in small quantities. Punjab accounts for 90 percent of the acreage and production. Sesame is on the decline in the other three provinces, where it is grown in very small quantities.
Three new oil seeds have been introduced in Pakistan in the recent past. Sunflower, safflower and soya bean. Sunflower seeds have acquired some importance, particularly in Punjab, which grows 60 percent of the total crop, followed by Sindh, at 20 percent. Although safflower is not grown in Punjab or Balochistan, it has made some progress in Sindh. Soya bean cultivation is still in its early stages, but its plantation has already been abandoned in Punjab and Balochistan. Only a limited area of soya bean cultivation takes place in Sindh. The NWFP is the only province which produces and appreciable amount of soya bean.
Pakistan is deficient in oil seeds. Because local production only meets 30 percent of local demand, the rest has to be imported. In addition, the demand for oil seeds increases by 9 percent annually. In 1999-2000, for example, a sum of Rs 21402 million were spent on the import of edible oil. It was 2.4 times more than what was imported as recently as 1990-1. This is, therefore, an urgent problem which needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, however, there is limited cultivable land in Pakistan, so it is difficult for oils seeds to compete with wheat, cotton and sugar cane. Much research and effort is still required to increase the oil seed yield.
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