Pakistan: ASTI Country Brief

Agriculture forms the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. The sector contributes 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs almost half of its labor force. For these reasons, agricultural productivity growth is a key factor in Pakistan’s economic development and poverty alleviation objectives. In turn, agricultural research and development (R&D) is crucial in generating agricultural productivity gains through new and improved crop varieties, cropping practices, labor-saving technologies, postharvest and processing methods, and marketing mechanisms.

This brief provides an overview of the major investment trends in agricultural research in Pakistan since the early 1990s, drawing on a new set of data developed through a comprehensive survey by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).