Fixing agriculture

Dawn reports that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is pushing a new agricultural agenda aimed at bolstering research, supplying quality seeds to smallholders, and overhauling crop‑estimate systems. The editorial warns that good intentions alone won’t suffice unless the government can translate directives into coherent policies that reshape federal and provincial markets, credit access, and input pricing. It points to long‑standing distortions in the sugar and cotton sectors, where powerful millers and middlemen capture most of the value, leaving farmers with low yields and weak bargaining power. Ultimately, the success of these reforms will hinge on confronting entrenched interests that benefit from the status quo.

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