KARACHI: In Pakistan's agriculture sector, discussions on farmer welfare typically centre around support prices, subsidies, water scarcity, climate change, and technology access. However, a critical issue remains largely unaddressed: accountability when agricultural inputs fail to deliver promised results. This concern has intensified with widespread complaints from maize growers about the performance of certain hybrid seed varieties this season.
Farmers Voice Concerns on Social Media
Farmers have shared photos and videos on social media, questioning whether actual yields matched aggressive marketing claims. The disparity between advertised performance and real outcomes has sparked a debate on the need for greater transparency and accountability in the seed industry.
Expert Insight on Maize Sector Growth
Aamer Hayat Bhandara, Founder of Agriculture Republic, noted that Pakistan's maize sector has grown significantly over two decades, driven by hybrid seeds from multinational companies. These seeds have supported the poultry, feed, and food industries. While these technologies have boosted yields, they have also increased farmers' dependence on expensive inputs.
According to Bhandara, farmers shoulder nearly all the risk, investing heavily in land preparation, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation, labour, and harvesting. When crops fail, they absorb the losses alone. Complaints are often dismissed by citing farmer error, poor practices, weather, or climate factors, with little impartial investigation into whether inputs met advertised standards.
Call for Accountability
The lack of accountability mechanisms leaves farmers vulnerable. Bhandara emphasized that independent assessments are needed to verify seed performance and ensure that marketing claims are accurate. Without such measures, the burden of risk remains unfairly on farmers, threatening their livelihoods and the sustainability of the agriculture sector.
