pakistan geographical review 1954 - University of the Punjab

THE ECONOMICS OF POWER CULTI-
VATION FOR WEST PAKISTAN
BY
SIR WILLIAM ROBERTS, C.I.E.
Present Position.·- West Pakistan had probably less than 2000 Tractors on
31st December, 1951 and of these 1500 have been purchased since partition.
The country is purchasing roughly one tractor a day now.
Culturable Area.-West Pakistan is cultivating about 26 million acres per
annum mostly by irrigation. There is an enormous area which is cultivable but
is now lying waste owing to lack of water and of suitable means of cultivation
estimated at 75 million acres as follows ;.-
Cultivated.
N.W.F.P. 25,00,000
Punjab 1,71,00,000
Bahawalpur 20,00,000
SiJ:d 5700,000
Baluchistan 4,00,000
Or her State, tribal areas figures not available.
Total 2,74,00,000
Uncultivated.
59,00,000
2,00,00,000
1,06,00,000
2,44,00,000
3,45,00,000
9,55,00,000
Area under Fodder.-In the Canal Colonies of the Punjab and Bahawalpur
where cultivation is from UO% to 110% (as in Lyallpur on the Lower Chanab
Canal) the area grown with fodder for working animal averages 15% to 18%.
The best land is generally put under fodder as the tenant does not have to share
the whole of this with the Landlord and he also likes to manure such areas with
whatever farm yard manure he can spare. In addition the cattle eat most of the
whea t bhusa and gram bhusa or straw and also some of the gram pulse and
possibly some cotton seed cake. Under compltte mechanisation assuming 300
acres is controlled by a Tractor of 25 H.P. to 35 II P. there would be neet for a
pair of cattle per 100 acres only instead of 8 pairs per 100 acres as at present.
It it safe therefore to state that 15% of the cropped area would be free for
wheat, gram, oilseeds and cotton under a mechanised system of farming.
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