Underdevelopment and Agrarian Structure in Pakistan

326 Pages·1981·10.34 MB·English

by  Mahmood Hasan Khan

Underdevelopment
and Agrarian Structure
in Pakistan
Westview Replica Editions
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Underdevelo~ment and Agrarian
Structure in Pakistan
Mahmood Hasan Khan
In this analysis of the relationship between agrarian structure
and agricultural development in Pakistan, the author investigates
the slow and uneven performance of agriculture and explores probable
causes. He demonstrates that land reforms have failed to alter the
paotern of concentration of land ownership and have in fact increased
the marginality of landless tenants and small landowners. He argues
that among the most serious causes of Pakistan's uncertain agricul
tural future is the predicament of the average farmer.
Noting that small owner-operated farms are socially more effi
cient than large ones, Dr. Khan proposes a new, economically viable,
land-tenure system. He also examines Pakistan's outmoded l·and-tax
system and suggests a new method of direct agricultural taxation
that would be efficient, equitable, and administratively feasible.
He concludes, however, that such reforms are not likely to meet with
political acceptance, even though increased pressures of technology
and marginalization on the peasantry inevitably will result ,in dis
ruptive--perhaps violent--change.
Mahmood Hasan Khan is professor of economics at Simon Fraser
University, British Columbia, Canada. He has taught at the Middle
East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and at the University of
Karachi, Pakistan. Dr. Khan is currently on the board of editors of
Pakistan Development Review.
PAKISTAN
AFGHANISTAN
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ARABIAN
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Underdevelopment
and Agrarian Structure
in Pakistan
Mahmood Hasan Khan
A Westview Replica Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or trans
fuitted in•any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo
copy, recording> or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright © 1981 by Westview Press, Inc.
published in 1981 in the United States of America by
Westview Press. Inc,
5500 Central Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80301
Frederick A. Praeger, Publisher
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Underdevelopment and agrarian structure in Pakistan.
,//O (A Westview replica edition)
Bibliography, p.
Includes index./~~
1. Land reform-llphkistan. 2. Land tenure--Pakistan. 3. Agricultural-
Economic aspects--Pakistan. I. Title.
HD1333.Pl8K47 333.3'09549'1 80-29669
ISBN 0-86531-134-X
Printed and bound, in the United States of America
~ I
To Aiysha, Rummana and Mansoor
Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
List of Fi.q u.re s. .a n.d .C h.a r.ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Preface xvii
. ~. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE PROBLEMS TATED
. . . . . . . .
statement of the Problem •••• . . . . . . . . 1
Agricultur'al Growth in Pakistan • 3
Land Tenure and Land Tax $ystems 6
Aqriculture in the Indus Basin 8
Organisation and Method of study 12
2 AGRICULTURALG ROWTH:S OURCES AND ~ONSEQUENCES 19
structure of Agriculture: Land Use and Croppinq
Patterns • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19
Patterns of Agricultural Growth ••• ,• • • • • • 28
Use of Physical Inputs • • • • • • • • • • • 42
"Sources" of Agricultura+ Gr9wth • , • • • • • • 47
Regional Patterns of Growth: Nature and
consequences • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 50
3 LANDOWNERSHIPS: TRUCTUREA ND CHANGE 65
Classification of Landholdinqs • • • • • • • 66
Patterns 0£ Landownership • • • • • • • • • • • • 67
Access to Land Use and Ownership • • • • • • • • 92
Farm Fragmentation and Land Utilization • • • • • 107
Some Explanations of Changes in Agrarian
Structure ••••••••••••••••••• , 117
. . .
. .
4 LAND REFORMSI : INACTION AND FAILURE , 125
Land Tenure Systems of Pakistan: A Background •• 125
The Land systems of Pakistan • • • • • • • • 1 30
Land Reforms in Pakistan, 1947 to 1958: A story
of Failures ••••••••••••••••••• 134
ix
X
. . . . . . . . . . .
A Perspective on Failures •
. . .
5 LAND REFORMSI I: ATTEMPTS AND CONSEQUENCES
. . . . . . . . . . .
The Land Reforms of 1959 •
The Land Reform.s .o f. .19 7.2 : . B. ac.k g.ro u.n d. .a n.d . . .
Consequences . . 170
The Land Reforms Act of H77: An Act on Paper 183
.
. . .
6 FARM PRODUCTIVITY AND INCOME DIFFERENTIALS 191
Relationship of Farm Size and Land Tenure with
Productivity of Land and Use of Inputs •• 192
Productivity and Land Tenure: A Rigorous Test •• 196
Tenant Shares and Income Changes •••••••• 204
•
7 OPTIONS OF LAND REFORMI N PAKISTAN 215
Land Reform: Theories and Altetnative; ••••• 215
The Agrarian Structure in the I,ndus Basin • • • • 223
Nature of Land Reform Programme'Y9r Pakistan •• 225
8 THE LAND TAX·SYSTEM: PROBLEMSA fD ALTERNATIVES 251
The Land Revenue System: A Backgrouna ••• 252
The Land Revenue "Retorms" ir. Pakistan , •• • • • 258
Evaluation of Dired~ Agricultural Taxation 270
An Alternative Agricultural Tax Syst~m for
Pakistan • • . • "\ • • • • • • • • • • • • 273
. . . . . . . . . . . .
9 CONCLUSION 289
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bibliography • . . . . . . . . 293
~
Index •••• 301
"
I I' r .,
. .,
Tables
1 .1 Share of the Punjab and Sind in Population
and Labour Force in Pakistan, 1961 .and
1 97 2 • • • • • • • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • 9
1.2 Share of the Punjab and Sind in Cultivated,
Irrigated and cropped Acreaqe in
Pakistan, Selected Years • • • • • • • • • • • 10
1.3 Share of the Punjab and Sind in output of
Major Crops and Foodqrains in Pakistan,
Selected Years •••••••••.••••••• 11
1.4 Share of the Punjab and Sind in owners and
Area owned in Pakistan, 1976 ••••••••• 12
1.5 Share of the Punjab and Sind in Farm Holdinqs
and Area in Pakistan, 1960 and 1972 •• ~ •• 13
1 .6 Share of the Punjab and Sin~ in Land Revenue
in Pakistan, Selected Years •• ~ •••••• 14
2.1 Land Utilization in Pakistaa and Provinces,
Selected Years •••••••• , ••••••• 20
2.2 Land-Man Ratio in Pakistan and Provinces,
19 5 9- 1977 • • • • • • • • • • • • • 22
2.3 Land Use and Irrigation Intensities in
Pakistan and Provinces, •Selected
Years •••••••••••••••••••• 24
2.4 Distribution of Crop Area in Pakistan and
Provinces, Selected Years • • • • • • • • • • 26
2.5 Trend Rates of Gross Domestic Product, Gross
'Aq'ricult·ural Product and Value of Major
Crops in Pakistan • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 27
2.6 Trend Rates of output of Major Crops and
Foodgrains in Pakistan and Provinces ••••• 29
2.7 Production of Major Crops and Foodqrains
per Acre and per Person in Pakistan and
Provinces, Selected Years • • • • • • • • • • 34
2.8 "Index of Ins~ability" of output of Major
Crops and Foodqrains in Pakistan and
Provinces, 1959-1977 • • • • • • • • • • • 35
Output per Acre .of Selected Crops in
Pakistan and Provinces, Selected Years •••• 36
xi