South Asia Investor Review

While Pakistan has lagged in South Asia region in  manufacturing value addition , the country enjoys a significant lead in  agriculture value addition  over Bangladesh and India.  Livestock revolution and increasing farm mechanization have enabled Pakistan to significantly raise agriculture productivity and rural incomes since 1980s. There is rising tractor ownership and growing economic activity in  dairy, meat and poultry sectors  now accounts for just over 50% of the nation's total agricultural output. The result is that per capita value added to agriculture in Pakistan is almost twice as much as that in  Bangladesh  and India. However, Pakistan still gets less crop per drop than India which means there is significant opportunity for  water saving . Agriculture Value Addition. Courtesy: Dr. Krishna Prasad Pant Agriculture Value Addition: As of 2014, the agriculture value addition in Pakistan is estimated at $1,050 per worker, sig...

First seven months of the current fiscal year have seen tractor sales soar 45% to 38,173 units, according to data of the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association. It is driven by a combination of soaring credit availability and bumper harvests of Pakistan's top three crops by area: wheat, cotton and rice. Tractor Sales: First seven months of the current fiscal year have seen tractor sales soar 45% to 38,173 units, according to data of the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association. This is good news for Pakistan's tractor industry that has been in slump for several years as the agriculture output was stagnant. Pakistani farmers use tractors for a variety of usual tasks ranging from tilling and planting to harvest and transport. Tractor owners recover their costs from more efficiently working their farms and renting out equipment when they are not in their own use. Agriculture Credit Growth: Pakistani banks provided Rs 500 billion (nearly $5 billion) worth of...