Number of farm households jumps

In what marks a significant transformation in the agrarian landscape, the number of farm households in Pakistan surged to 11.7 million in 2024, up from 8.3 million in 2010 — indicating a 40pc increase in rural engagement with agriculture, according to the 7th Digital Agriculture Census Report released on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the livestock population rose to 251.3 million in 2024 from 143 million in 2006, registering a steady compound annual growth rate of 3.18pc. These parallel increases underline the continued centrality of agriculture as both a livelihood and a critical pillar of the national economy. Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal officially launched the results of the census, which was conducted using a fully integrated digital methodology for the first time. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) employed real-time mapping, geo-tagging, and automated data systems to ensure accurate and efficient data collection at the field level.