Current structure of land holdings and importance of small farms: evidences from Pakistan | Land Portal

Información del recurso

Date of publication: 
Diciembre 2015
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
AGRIS:LV2016000543

In agrarian economies like Pakistan, agriculture structure especially, pattern of ownership of land and size distribution are crucial indicator and principal form of wealth and political power. The present study represents an attempt to look in current structure of land holdings, land tenure, and land fragmentation by using Pakistan agriculture census report 2010. Opportunities and challenges faced by small farms in Pakistan are also discussed. Despite two land reforms (1959, 1972), to reform the feudal agrarian structure of the country, agricultural lands are highly skewed in favour of large farms. This dominancy of large farms in owning means of production leads to severe inequalities in the distribution of wealth and income which is major obstacle in provision of basic need to large proportion of population. Tenancy, a problem in the past because poor tenants were handicapped in accessing different institutes and services, is solved somehow. Despite different consolidation programs in the past, the fragmentation issue is there, 34 percent of total farm area is fragmented in Pakistan. Fragments are barrier in investment in farm development projects on farm level. A majority of farms (58%) in Pakistan are small farms, so for the prosperity of country, well-being of small farms is very important. Due to diversification of agriculture from cash crop to high value commodities, and concepts like tunnel farming, organic agriculture, horticulture and livestock, small farms tend to offer some opportunities. On the other hand, natural disasters, pest attacks, access to financial markets, unfavourable macro-economic policies are threatening the prosperity of small farms.

Autores y editores

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Imran, M., Akdeniz Univ., Antalya (Turkey). Faculty of Agriculture. Dept. of Agricultural Economics
Ozcatalbas, O., Akdeniz Univ., Antalya (Turkey). Faculty of Agriculture. Dept. of Agricultural Economics

Proveedor de datos

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