Scoping Study: Climate Smart Rice Pakistan

Rice is the second most important export commodity of Pakistan. Pakistan’s crops area under rice is increasing. It contributes 3.1%
of value added in agriculture and 0.6% in the Gross Domestic Product. During 2019-20, rice cropped area of 7.5 million acres (3.034 million hectare) increased by 8.0% compared to 6.94 million acres (2.810 million hectares) during 2018-19. The production increased by 2.9% to 7.410 million tons, against 7.202 million tones driven in part by higher domestic prices and availability of inputs on subsidized rates. In 2019, Pakistan earned $1.2 billion by exporting rice.

This scoping study commissioned by Climate and Clean Air Coalition as part of the project "Promoting Global Best Practices and Scaling of Low Emissions Technologies by Engaging the Private and Public Sectors in the Paddy Rice Sector". This study aimed to discover lessons learned and explore entry points for cooperation with other projects in the country. The study was conducted in 82 revenue villages from 17 districts in four provinces. In total 168 farmers were randomly selected for interviews. This sample included 44% farmers contracted by different rice export companies (mainly Punjab and Sindh). Around forty stakeholder institutions and key informant experts were also interviewed.