ISLAMABAD: While it is essential that farmers get agriculture inputs at their doorstep to lessen the cost of production and enhance productivity, a survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has found that rural people of Balochistan have to travel an average distance of 58 kilometres to get the inputs and services.

Analysis by provinces shows that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the average travelling distance is 29km while in Punjab and Sindh, the distance to reach these services is comparatively smaller.

According to the Mouza Census 2020 carried out by the PBS, the majority of outlets for seeds, fertilisers and pesticides are at an average distance of 22-23km from rural mouzas across the country.

The average distance to avail these services has come down as compared to 2008 which was 26km at the country level. Only 10 per cent of mouzas have these facilities available within their areas which have slightly improved since 2008.

According to findings of the census, the distance to access livestock markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is 58km while in Balochistan this distance is 57km. The rural population of Sindh has to travel less as compared to other provinces to reach the livestock market with an average distance of 19km, while in Punjab people have to travel 21km on average to reach the market.

The census noted that droughts had affected 58pc and 17pc rural mouzas of Balochistan and Sindh, respectively, while 12pc rural mouzas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also been hit by the calamity.

The survey noted that 14pc rural mouzas of Balochistan had been hit by floods over the past five years while floods had hit 11pc of mouzas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, natural disaster in terms of earthquake was mainly faced by the rural population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 20pc mouzas having faced the damage, followed by 4pc mouzas in Balochistan.

Rural areas of Punjab had been the least affected by any natural disasters over the last five years, the survey noted.

The census observed that 92pc mouzas in the country were devoid of any type of industry, but small-scale and cottage industries existed in some mouzas of the country.

The survey found that rural areas of Sindh and Punjab had the highest prevalence of small industries which stood at around 5pc each. Rural areas of Sindh also have the highest concentration of cottage industries with about 6pc, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 5pc.

Rural areas of Punjab have the highest concentration of medium-scale industries with more than one per cent mouzas having them as compared to other provinces.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022