Presented at the Pulses for Sustainable Agriculture and Human Health” on 31 May-1 June 2016 at NASC, New Delhi, India. The conference was jointly organised by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), TCi of Cornell University (TCi-CU) and Agriculture Today.

1. PULSES IN PAKISTAN FOR FOOD AND
NUTRITIONAL SECURITY
Stephen Davies, Saqib Shahzad and Wajiha Saeed
A Presentation to the Pulses for Sustainable Agriculture and Human Health
Conference
New Delhi, India
May 31, 2016

2. www.ifpri.org
Pulses Situation in Pakistan
 There has been almost no growth or fractional growth of
food legumes in last 30 years (GOP 2006; GOP 2008).
 Major pulses grown in Pakistan include desi chickpeas
(gram), lentils (masoor), mung beans, black matpe (mash
beans).
 Mostly cultivation of pulses are on marginal lands and
rain-fed areas.
 Important source of protein with increasing demand due
to population growth in Pakistan.
 Less use of fertilizer in pulses - specially in chickpea.

3. www.ifpri.org
Pulses Situation in Pakistan (contd.)
 Chickpea can perform well under conditions of moisture
stress in marginal soils.
 The Thal desert cannot support major cash crops due to
low fertility and lack of irrigation, is called the “home of
chickpea”.
 Cultivation of Mungbean is concentrated in Punjab and in
Kharif season (July October). About 75% cultivation
follows mungbean - wheat crop rotation.
 Source: http://old.parc.gov.pk/1SubDivisions/NARCCSI/CSI/pulses.html

4. www.ifpri.org
Pulses Situation in Pakistan (contd.)
 Chickpea and lentils compete in the Rabi season with
wheat for limited water supplies.
 Wheat uses 24 MAF of canal water out of total of 31.4
MAF available in Rabi, so little water is available for food
legumes.
 Wheat yield is 2.45 tons/ha against food legumes yield of
0.429 tons/ha for chickpea and 0.723 tons/ha for mung
beans.

5. www.ifpri.org
A GRAPHICAL TOUR

6. www.ifpri.org
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Years
Area and Production of Pulses in Pakistan
Area (000
hectares)
Production
(000
tonnes)
Linear
(Area (000
hectares))
Linear
(Productio
n (000
tonnes))

7. www.ifpri.org
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Years
Production and Total Supply of Major Pulses
in Pakistan
Production
(000
tonnes)
Total
Supply (P +
I)

8. www.ifpri.org
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Kgs/Hectare
Years
Yields of Major Pulses in Pakistan
Gram
Mash
Mung
Linear
(Gram)

9. www.ifpri.org
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
WheatPrice
PulsesPrice
Years
Real Prices of major Pulses and Wheat
Gram
Mung
Wheat

10. www.ifpri.org
The Supply of Pulses in Pakistan
 Tend to behave as subsistence crops
• Supply not always responsive to own-price (esp. Gram &
Maash)
 Grown mostly in areas with low-intensity cropping
• Cropping-intensity found to have a negative effect on
pulse production
 Lack of R&D related to pulses and/or prioritization
by govt. are possible reasons
• Pulses except Mung had a negative trend coefficient over
the period 1970-93
• Turned positive more recently
• Mung may be benefitting
Sources: Ali and Abedullah (1998); Rani et. al. (2014).

11. www.ifpri.org
The Supply of Pulses in Pakistan
(contd.)
 Investments in irrigation at the national level have not
benefitted pulses
• Negative or no association with increased irrigation overall
• But positive association with rainfall & own area under irrigation
 Greater weather risks negatively effects all pulses but not
Gram
 Higher wages have negative effect on pulse production as
well
• Suggests need for improving varieties (to have synchronized
maturity) and mechanization to reduce labor-intensity of harvest
Sources: Ali and Abedullah (1998); Rani et. al. (2014).

12. www.ifpri.org
The Demand for Pulses in Pakistan
 Pulses have been shown to have high demand
elasticity (0.6 to 0.8)
• Much higher price elasticity than wheat (~0.3)
• Comparable to higher-quality foods (milk, meat, rice)
• Though, more recent study suggests it is low (for Mung
and Gram)
 Pulses generally perceived to be inferior goods: not
preferred at higher income levels
• Found to be not exactly true: consistently found to have
positive income elasticities
Sources: Ali and Abedullah (1998); Rani et. al. (2014).

13. www.ifpri.org
The Demand for Pulses in Pakistan (contd.)
 May be substitutes for milk & fruit (particularly
Mungbean)
 Either independent of cereals or complementary; Gram
possibly a substitute of wheat (disagreement across
studies)
 Found to complement vegetables and meat (Lentil was
the exception which substitutes for these)
 Income and population pressures can be expected to
continue to exert demand pressures on pulses
Sources: Ali and Abedullah (1998); Rani et. al. (2014).

14. www.ifpri.org
 Wheat procurement price has possible negative
effects on pulses growth
 Some dimensions in Mung Bean, possibly from R&D
 More consistent import program might raise
consumption
 Possible programs to raise yields in dryland areas
could be pro-poor and might reduce Malnutrition
Conclusions

15. www.ifpri.org
References
 Mubarik Ali and Abedullah. 1998. “Supply, demand,
and policy environment for Pulses in Pakistan”.
Pakistan Development Review 37:1.
 Saima Rani, Hassnain Shah, Umar Farooq and Bushra
Rehman. (2014). “Supply, demand, and policy
environment for Pulses in Pakistan”. Pakistan J. Agric.
Res. Vol. 27 No.2.

16. THANK YOU!