Pakistan is importing what it should be growing. In FY25, pulse imports surged to 1.32 million tonnes (nearly a billion-dollar bill) as domestic production plummeted by almost 40 per cent, following a similar spike the year before. Red lentils, chickpeas, mung, mash, all feature on the shopping list abroad, even as they dwindle from our fields.
Pulses stand as Pakistan’s most affordable source of protein. Their growing scarcity directly feeds into food inflation, which has already strained household budgets for years. With red lentil and chickpea prices surging between 60pc and 80pc since 2020, even the “poor man’s protein” has rapidly become inaccessible for many.
That Pakistan–once justly referred to as the breadbasket of South Asia– must now rely on foreign supply for its most basic nutrition represents a profound policy failure, though not an inevitable one. Agriculture has long been overwhelmingly structured around wheat, sugarcane, and rice. These crops invariably attract generous support, political attention, and procurement protections. Pulses, by stark contrast, remain largely outside this critical subsidy net.
More alarming is the long-term trend. Lentil cultivation has dropped 70pc, and mung by 30pc, from historic highs. Chickpea production remains confined, largely to water-stressed regions like the Thal Desert, and continues to fall well below regional benchmarks. Yields stagnate at a mere 600 kg/ha, starkly compared to 1.0 t/ha in India and 1.2 t/ha in Australia. Pakistani farmers are making rational, albeit short-sighted, decisions; planting less of a crop left unsupported by subsidies, vital research, or reliable markets. As international prices invariably rise and the rupee weakens, relying on imported pulses grows not only prohibitively expensive but increasingly precarious.
The undeniable solution lies in fundamentally rebalancing agricultural priorities. Pakistan urgently needs a nationally coordinated pulses policy, one robustly backed by seed innovation, yield-enhancing R&D, firm procurement guarantees, and essential market infrastructure. Minimum support prices, targeted investment in pulse-specific machinery, and improved post-harvest storage would collectively offer farmers both necessary incentives and crucial security.
There is also a compelling environmental argument. Pulses intrinsically improve soil fertility, significantly reduce fertiliser dependency, and thrive particularly well in water-stressed zones, making them ideal for rotation in dryland areas. The benefits extend well beyond mere nutrition.
Pakistan’s agricultural landscape is never static. Choosing resolutely to grow what we consume (rather than simply importing it) is not merely sound economics but an indispensable step toward true national sovereignty. *