Article Type

Article

Description

Sindh has a population of around 50 million. There is an equal division – 52 per cent live in urban areas while 48 per cent in rural areas and around 38 per cent of them derive their livelihoods from agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing. The organized manufacturing sector and services have little presence in the rural areas and much of what exists primarily caters to the needs of the rural population. The agriculture sector, which is the main driver of the rural economy, has not performed well because of inequitable land distribution and poor resource management particularly that of water coupled with absence of new varieties. Inequality in access to land and water uses has exacerbated the differentials in incomes at the top and bottom quintiles. Sindh has the highest incidence of absolute landlessness, highest share of tenancy and the lowest share of land ownership in the country. Before 1959, the wealthy landlords in Sindh, with holdings in excess of 100 acres, accounted for seven per cent of all farmers in the province but owned 45 per cent of total farmed land. Their farm holdings were twelve times more than those of the small farmers with land holdings of less than five acres. Although the farm area owned by the top decile has declined due to division among the second and third generations, the control of the patriarchs remains overwhelming as the younger owners are not interested in living in the rural areas. The composition of the provincial assembly shows dominance of large landowners and thus decision-making and allocation of resources more or less reflect their interests.

Publication Source

The News

Publication Date

11-4-2022

Pages

1-4

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