{"id":18261,"date":"2026-04-17T22:52:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T17:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/?p=18261"},"modified":"2026-04-17T22:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T17:52:07","slug":"climate-change-threatens-agricultur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/2026\/04\/17\/climate-change-threatens-agricultur\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change Threatens Agriculture in Punjab"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climate Change Threatens Agriculture in Punjab<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Punjab, known as the food basket of Pakistan, produces major crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, and cotton. However, over the past 15 to 20 years, the province has been experiencing rapid climate changes that are severely affecting agriculture. Farmers are under increasing pressure as rainfall patterns have become irregular, summers have grown hotter and longer, and winters are shorter and less intense. These changes are disrupting traditional farming cycles and reducing overall crop productivity.<\/p>\n

Data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department<\/a> shows that Punjab\u2019s average temperature has been steadily increasing since 2000. At the same time, rainfall has become highly unpredictable, with some years experiencing excessive rainfall and others facing drought-like conditions. The rising heat intensity and changing weather patterns are directly impacting crop growth and farming schedules across the province.<\/p>\n

Research from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council indicates that higher temperatures are shortening crop growth periods. According to their findings, a temperature increase of 1 to 4 degrees Celsius could lead to a reduction in wheat production ranging from 9 percent to 30 percent, posing a serious threat to food security in the region.<\/p>\n

The International Food Policy Research Institute reports that more than 80 percent of farmers in Punjab are already affected by climate change. In central Punjab, rainfall patterns have become unstable, with extreme variations from year to year. Unseasonal rains in April often damage wheat harvesting, while heavy monsoon rains in July and August can destroy rice and cotton crops.<\/p>\n

Dr Anjum Ali of the Punjab Agriculture Research Board describes the situation as a \u201cclimate shift\u201d rather than simple climate change. He explains that the traditional monsoon cycle has changed, with rainfall now occurring in shorter but more intense bursts. He also notes that cropping patterns are shifting, as water-intensive crops like sugarcane, rice, and maize are expanding in some areas, while cotton cultivation is declining due to climate stress.<\/p>\n

To adapt to these challenges, experts are promoting short-duration seed varieties, improved breeding techniques, and the use of micronutrients and potash to help crops withstand extreme conditions. Rising temperatures are also increasing pest attacks, as insects reproduce more quickly in warmer climates.<\/p>\n

Experts like Dr Buttar emphasize digital agriculture systems to provide farmers with timely weather updates and guidance. They also recommend cluster farming, better water management, improved storage systems, and greater investment in agricultural research and development.<\/p>\n

Farmers on the ground are already experiencing serious difficulties. Progressive farmer Aamir Hayat Bhandara explains that unpredictable rainfall in March and April often delays wheat harvesting, reducing both yield and quality. Sudden heatwaves can also cause crops to ripen too quickly, preventing proper development and lowering production.<\/p>\n

He further notes that heatwaves, floods, and droughts are now occurring together more frequently, making farming increasingly unstable. He stresses that farmers must adjust crop selection and planting schedules according to climate risks, while the government should provide financial support, access to climate data, and modern farming technologies.<\/p>\n

According to Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, climate change has already caused losses worth billions of rupees for farmers. He warns that if immediate action is not taken, many farmers may be forced to stop growing wheat in the coming years. He also criticizes the government for spending heavily on food imports while local farmers struggle with climate-related challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Climate Change Threatens Agriculture in Punjab Punjab, known as the food basket of Pakistan, produces major crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, and cotton. However, over the past 15 to 20 years, the province has been experiencing rapid climate changes that are severely affecting agriculture. Farmers are under increasing pressure as rainfall patterns have become […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":18262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2297,2298],"tags":[3807,2791],"class_list":["post-18261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-change","category-latest-news","category-pakistan","tag-agriculture-punjab","tag-climate-change"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18264,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18261\/revisions\/18264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newspulse.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}