Agriculture remains Pakistan’s economic backbone, contributing roughly a quarter of GDP and sustaining over a third of the workforce. Yet for all its centrality, the sector has long suffered from stagnant yields, weak research linkages and policy drift. It is in this context that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to approve a restructuring of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) must be assessed.
The proposal carries familiar promise. Five new centres of excellence are envisaged, spanning high-yield seeds, livestock breeding, mechanisation and the use of artificial intelligence in farming. The ambition to model PARC on China’s agricultural research system suggests a recognition that productivity gains will not come without institutional overhaul. Pakistan’s farms need science that reaches the field, not reports that remain on shelves.
The current development cycle tells a different story. No major new PARC projects featured in the latest public sector development plan, while a single potato seed initiative with South Korea survived. At the same time, significant allocations have been directed elsewhere, raising legitimate concerns about priorities and whether reform is being pursued through coherent planning or fragmented patronage.
The consequences of such drift are visible. Tharparkar’s recurring food crises, the devastation wrought by last year’s floods, and the disproportionate burden borne by already marginalised communities point to a deeper structural weakness. These are not isolated failures. They reflect the cost of a research system that has struggled to translate policy into resilience on the ground.
If the government is serious, the PARC revamp must extend beyond announcement. Pakistan’s spending on agricultural research remains among the lowest in the region, a fraction of what comparable economies invest. Without a meaningful increase in funding, institutional redesign risks becoming cosmetic. More importantly, resources must be tied to outcomes: higher yields, climate resilience and measurable gains for smallholders.
Governance will be equally critical. PARC cannot function as an effective national research body if its direction shifts with political cycles. A clearer framework is needed to ensure continuity, professional autonomy and accountability. Stronger links with universities, the private sector and provincial systems would help align research with the needs of those who work the land.
Pakistan has seen reform plans before, often ambitious in scope and uneven in execution. The question is no longer whether reform is needed. It is whether the state is prepared to follow through where it has repeatedly fallen short. *