By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Pakistan's major crops sector posted a largely positive performance in 2025-26, with wheat, rice and sugarcane recording higher production than the previous year, according to the latest official assessment of area and production targets.

Wheat, the country's staple crop, showed a notable improvement during the year, says the Annual Plan 2026-27 available with Wealth Pakistan.

The cultivated area increased to 9.478 million hectares from 9.074 million hectares a year earlier, while production rose by 4.3% to 29.605 million tonnes from 28.396 million tonnes. The crop also came very close to the official production target of 29.678 million tonnes, highlighting strong output despite agricultural challenges.

Rice production also remained encouraging. Although the cultivated area declined by 3.6% to 3.759 million hectares, the output increased by 2.8% to 9.998 million tonnes compared with 9.723 million tonnes in 2024-25. The production figure exceeded the target of 9.170 million tonnes, reflecting improved productivity and crop management.

Sugarcane emerged as one of the strongest performers among major crops. The area under cultivation expanded by 2.4% to 1.222 million hectares, while production surged 6.2% to 89.450 million tonnes from 84.238 million tonnes a year earlier. The output significantly surpassed the target of 80.320 million tonnes, underscoring robust growth in the sector, the plan noted.

The overall performance of these key crops indicates resilience in Pakistan's agricultural sector and supports food supplies and agro-based industries. Strong wheat and rice harvests are particularly important for food security, while higher sugarcane output is expected to benefit the sugar and allied industries.

Maize and cotton, however, faced a more challenging year, the plan noted. Maize cultivation remained almost unchanged at 1.587 million hectares, while production declined 2.7% to 8.794 million tonnes from 9.037 million tonnes. The output remained below the target of 9.775 million tonnes.

Cotton also continued to struggle, with cultivated area falling 1.5% to 2.012 million hectares. Production slipped marginally by 0.5% to 7.052 million bales compared with 7.084 million bales in the previous year, remaining well below the target of 10.128 million bales.

Despite these setbacks, gains in wheat, rice, and sugarcane helped offset weaknesses in other crops and contributed to a generally positive picture for the agricultural sector.

The results suggest that productivity improvements and better crop performance in several key segments enabled agriculture to maintain momentum during 2025-26.

According to the comparative analysis, wheat and sugarcane recorded both higher cultivated area and production, while rice achieved higher output despite a reduction in acreage. These trends indicate improved efficiency in some crop segments and highlight the sector's capacity to sustain growth under varying conditions.

Credit: INP-WealthPk