The agriculture sector might be one of the government’s priorities, but it sadly didn’t get any noteworthy mention in the 2026-27 speech of the federal finance minister.

The Economic Survey 2025-26 reported 2.89pc growth in the farm sector despite the 2025 floods (largely in Punjab province), which the government claimed caused Rs822bn in economic losses. However, if the farm sector grew by 2.89 pc, then such growth is driven by the agriculture sector’s resilience. Major crops have grown by 1.44pc, while livestock, being part and parcel of the larger agricultural landscape, have grown by 3.75pc.

It is anybody’s guess why the finance minister failed to point out anything specific for the farm sector, despite the fact that the agriculture sector employs 33pc of the country’s population.

The finance minister did refer to water resources and mega projects. However, the low-hanging fruit of improving water productivity, horticulture, and developing the oilseeds sector was not targeted.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 15th, 2026