Pakistan's agricultural sector faces a mounting crisis as deteriorating soil health and inefficient supply chains threaten food security, farmer incomes and the country's long-term economic resilience.
A stark warning has emerged from policymakers: organic matter in soils has fallen below 0.5%, far short of the 2% level considered necessary for healthy cultivation. This decline signals a deeper erosion of the ecological base that once sustained strong farm output.
For decades, fertile land and extensive irrigation gave the country a natural edge. That advantage is now fading. Water scarcity has already reshaped farming, and degraded soils are compounding the challenge, weakening productivity and increasing dependence on costly chemical inputs.
The consequences are increasingly evident. Poor soil structure reduces moisture retention and nutrient efficiency, leaving crops more vulnerable to drought and heat. Farmers must spend more to maintain yields, even as returns diminish.
This ecological strain coincides with structural distortions in agricultural markets. The wheat trade offers a vivid example. In 2025, intermediaries with access to capital and storage facilities reaped extraordinary profits-buying wheat cheaply from farmers and selling at sharply higher prices within months.
Such gains exposed deep inefficiencies. Most farmers lack access to modern storage and testing facilities, forcing them into distress sales at harvest time. Meanwhile, traders and millers, equipped with warehousing and finance, dominate pricing and capture the bulk of value.
The supply chain itself remains outdated. Much of the storage infrastructure relies on rudimentary methods, with limited quality control. As a result, crop quality deteriorates soon after leaving farms, undermining prospects for higher-value exports.
Market arrangements mirror these weaknesses. Fragmented local trading systems, opaque pricing practices and limited standardisation prevent the emergence of a unified national market. In this environment, mistrust prevails and government oversight remains partial.
Reform proposals exist but progress is uneven. A modern system based on accredited warehouses and electronic receipts has shown promise, enabling commodity standardisation and access to bank financing. Yet adoption remains limited, and the broader system continues to favour those with liquidity rather than producers.
At the policy level, the government is attempting to address these challenges. A new strategic roadmap for agriculture and food security seeks to build a more resilient and competitive sector. It emphasises climate-resilient crops, improved water management, digital regulation and expanded access to credit.
Efforts are also under way to enhance supply chain monitoring, promote private-sector participation in exports and strengthen research through international collaboration. Targeted support for underdeveloped regions and initiatives to improve crop nutrition form part of the agenda.
Alongside these initiatives, proposals to restore soil fertility-through bio-fertilisers, composting and improved farming practices-are being considered. Such measures aim to reverse decades of degradation and rebuild the biological foundations of productivity.
Yet the scale of the challenge is considerable. Technological upgrades and policy reforms cannot substitute for restoring basic natural resources. Without healthier soils and more efficient markets, gains from modernisation may prove limited.
The risks extend beyond agriculture itself. Food availability, rural livelihoods and export earnings all depend on sustained productivity. Continued degradation could force greater reliance on imports while eroding a key pillar of economic stability.
Pakistan's agricultural potential remains significant. But without decisive action to repair its ecological base and modernise its supply chains, the sector may struggle to support the country's growing needs.