Stories by Khalid Saeed Wattoo
Pakistan’s sugar sector has faced intense criticism from various quarters over the past few decades. Among various...
Published 26 Oct, 2026 06:06am
Confused govt policies and quick bucks are pushing farmers for two rice crops a year.
Published 19 Oct, 2026 06:50am
With the policy focus persistently skewed toward road infrastructure, critical agricultural infrastructure failed to receive
Published 12 Oct, 2026 06:49am
The elite capture and institutional inertia have made the sector notoriously difficult to regulate.
Published 28 Sep, 2026 06:29am
Provincial government’s extension services have become so ineffective that their presence or absence makes little practical
Published 14 Sep, 2026 07:05am
Roughly 4m tonnes of rice straw burnt annually represent over Rs55bn in lost economic value each year.
Updated 07 Sep, 2026 07:52am
The growing concentration on a few crops is creating surpluses that are increasingly difficult to export profitably
Published 31 Aug, 2026 07:33am
In Pakistan, HEIS covers less than 1pc of the total irrigated area, compared with 19.2pc in India
Published 24 Aug, 2026 07:36am
A self-sustaining, market-driven home gardening model could improve access to vegetables
Published 17 Aug, 2026 05:15am
The credibility of official data has eroded to the point where key stakeholders no longer trust it
Published 10 Aug, 2026 06:04am
The proposed 1m tonne import has revived farmers’ fears of a repeat of FY24, when imports triggered a price collapse.
Updated 03 Aug, 2026 07:46am
Past export surges have been driven either by higher international prices or temporary external developments
Published 27 Jul, 2026 07:31am
Constructing groundwater recharge boreholes is a step in the right direction
Published 20 Jul, 2026 10:43am
Against the background of lower exports owing to geopolitics and the climate change challenge, B- and C-grade mangoes account for a much larger share of this year’s crop than premium A-grade fruit.
Published 13 Jul, 2026 06:58am
The tax rates applicable to agricultural income have generally remained lower than those on business income.
Published 06 Jul, 2026 07:07am
Addressing the intertwined challenges of water scarcity, inequitable distribution, and declining irrigation-system efficiency...
Published 29 Jun, 2026 08:09am
Unless agriculture is restored to the centre of fiscal planning, Pakistan risks undermining its food security as well as its economic future.
Updated 08 Jun, 2026 07:52am
Locally sourced produce often suffers from inconsistent quality, uncertain supply, and daily price fluctuations, creating significant operational uncertainty for processors.
Published 01 Jun, 2026 08:02am
In many areas where water was once accessible at a depth of around 20 feet, it has now fallen to more than 100 feet, significantly.
Published 25 May, 2026 07:47am
Pakistan’s agriculture sector possesses sufficient potential to feed the country’s population with its existing resources; the core problem lies in misplaced priorities.
Published 18 May, 2026 07:45am
