It is common knowledge that Pakistan has very fertile soil, and agriculture is the backbone of our economy. According to the numbers in 2024, 22.35% of Pakistan’s GDP came from agriculture, and it gives jobs to 42.3% of our labor force. But exactly how many parts of Pakistan have fertile land, and what kind of crops are grown there? To find that out, let’s take a closer look at Pakistan’s soil fertility.
Condition of Pakistan’s Soil
For soil to be considered healthy, it needs to have around 1.29% of organic matter. The soil in Pakistan has diverse numbers in organic matter, with the lowest starting from around 0.52%, and the most fertile being around 1.38%.
Although we constantly hear claims of Pakistan having the most fertile land, the only naturally fertile pieces of land are found in one district in Pakistan known as Kambar-Shahdadkot. Farmers in other parts of the country rely heavily on fertilizers, which is why the fertilizer industry is so big in Pakistan.
The second biggest problem that we face in regard to soil is waterlogging and salinity. In the Indus Basin Irrigation system, 43% (7.1 million hectares) of land is unusable. We lose 100,000 acres of land every year due to waterlogging, which is a severe blow to our economy.
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