LAHORE, Nov 5: The agriculture mechanization process in the province leaves much to be desired if the latest figures of the Census of Agriculture Machinery are something to go by.

According to the census, the number of tractors used for agricultural purposes has touched the figure of 410,000. In 1974-75, there were only 35,714 of them. The figure rose up to 157,310 in 1984-85, and to 252,861 in 1994-95. It was estimated to be 395,000 in 2000-01 and projected to be in 410,000 in 2001-02.

Similarly, the number of tubewells swelled from 155,844 in 1974-75, to 237,999 in 1984-85, and to 454,257 in 1994-95. It was estimated to be 500,000 in 2000-01 and projected to be 535,000 in 2001-02.

There were only 31,619 cultivators in the Punjab in 1974-75. The number rose up to 146,863 in 1984-85 and 236,272 in 1994-95. They were estimated to be 350,000 and projected to be 362,000 in 2001-02.

Thresher, another vital component of the agricultural economy, has seen a big increase during the last 25 years; there were only 5,635 of them in the province in 1974-75, 78,377 in 1984-85, 112,707 in 1994-95, estimated 175,000 in 2000-01 and projected 185,000 in 2001-02. Seed drill witnessed a very slow increase during the same years. There were only 1,174 seed drills in the province during 1974-75. The number rose to 11,251 in 1984-85 to 64,126 in 1994-95, and estimated to be 95,000 in 2000-01. It is projected to be 100,000 in 2001-02.

Plough, another vital and ancient agriculture implement in the province, has also experienced rise in number, but it remained low on farmers’ list of preference for mechanization. There were only 5,672 ploughs in the Punjab in 1974-75. They rose up to 13,674 in 1984-85, to 48,785 in 1984-85, and estimated to be 70,000 in 2000-01 and projected to 85,000 during 2001-02.

There were only 18,074 trolleys in the province in 1974-75. The figure went up to 98,787 in 1984-85, and to 176,412 in 1994-95. It is estimated to be 250,000 in 2000-01 and 260,000 in 2001-02.

Explaining the slow process of agriculture mechanization in the province, a farmer from the central Punjab said it was largely because of policy failure; the successive governments have failed to take the sector as a priority area.

“Look at the cost of tractor. Farmers in India get the same tractor at less than half the price at which we in the Punjab purchase it. It is mainly because of lose control over multi-nationals and taxes on it,” he claimed.

Another farmer from the southern Punjab claimed Pakistan was perhaps the only country in the world where agriculture subsidy was negative; meaning thereby, the government was using agriculture as a source of income rather than subsidizing it as the rest of the world was doing. Farmers in the region were enjoying subsidies; even Indians got diesel and electricity at dirt cheap rates. Both cost fortune in Pakistan and have rendered the agriculture totally non-profitable ‘business’ in the country.

“In these circumstances, how can farmers be expected to spend money on mechanization of agriculture. One must not expect any money pouring in for the farm mechanization until and unless sector is made profitable and investment-friendly, and it seems to be last priority of the government,” he lamented.

Agriculture subsidies run to the tune of billions of dollars in Europe and the US, claims a member of the Farmers Associates Pakistan, and added that the same governments were pressing the Third World countries to stop subsidizing agriculture and the most unfortunate part is that they are listening. The Third World must realize that its agriculture would be rendered supine once the World Trade Organization (WTO) takes hold in the next two years. It is time to resist such pressure and keep agriculture a viable business for farmers of this part of the world, he insisted.