The agriculture sector’s hidden crisis

Pakistan’s agriculture sector is grappling with a deepening crisis, which is likely to worsen in the coming years. The prices of agricultural commodities have been on a consistent downward slide in international markets, and so have they in local markets. Meanwhile, agricultural input prices in Pakistan continue to rise. This growing imbalance — rising production costs amid government claims of easing inflation, coupled with shrinking farm incomes — raises serious concerns about the long-term viability of farming in the country. Global food inflation, triggered during the Covid-19 pandemic, is gradually subsiding. A review of the World Bank’s commodities price data over the past three years highlights this downward trend. Maize price, which stood at $319 per metric tonne (MT) in 2022 (annual average), has now dropped to $214 per MT in 2025 (Jan-March average). Similarly, the price of wheat has declined significantly, falling from $430 per MT in 2022 to $258 per MT in 2025.