Senate Committee Recommends Recognising Tobacco as a Crop

A Senate committee has recommended that tobacco be formally declared a crop and that a policy be prepared to protect growers. The committee also raised concern over unsold tobacco in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and discussed wider issues affecting Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research met in Islamabad under the chairpersonship of Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan. A sub-committee was formed to examine the proposal on tobacco and submit recommendations.

Debate over tobacco’s status

The managing director of the Pakistan Tobacco Board briefed the committee on the regulatory position of tobacco cultivation. He said cultivation was regulated under the 1968 Ordinance and subsidiary rules framed in 2016.

Senator Aimal Wali Khan argued that tobacco should be treated as a crop rather than a commodity so growers could receive greater benefits. He also highlighted the issue of tobacco remaining unsold in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Concerns over wheat and rice production

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research briefed the committee on declining wheat and rice yields. The minister attributed production challenges to uncertified seeds, inadequate fertiliser and climate change.

He said agriculture-sector reforms had been introduced, banks had been directed to improve financing and farmers were to be facilitated in obtaining modern machinery. He also said steps were being taken to ensure the availability of quality seeds.

The ministry secretary said wheat production declined in 2024 but improved in 2026. He said production depended significantly on DAP availability, with half produced locally and half imported from Saudi Arabia.

He added that countries including India, China and the United States provided substantial fertiliser subsidies, while Pakistan could not provide similar support. Agriculture is a devolved subject, with about 90 percent of responsibilities transferred to the provinces, he said.

Questions over cattle vaccine licensing

The director general of the Department of Livestock briefed the committee on VRI vaccination for cattle. Senator Aimal Wali Khan questioned the vaccine’s effectiveness and regulatory status, saying that some cattle vaccinated with VRI had contracted Haemorrhagic Septicaemia.

He also said that, despite directions issued in 2020, the vaccine had not obtained the required Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan licence. The committee was informed that the vaccine was being sold and administered across the country without the required licences.

Olive production and palm oil imports

The minister told the committee that Pakistan had made significant progress in olive production, had become a permanent member of the International Olive Council and had received four international awards.

Balochistan was identified as the country’s largest olive-producing province. The committee discussed drip irrigation, local production of olive plants and measures to increase exports.

The chairman also expressed concern over high palm oil imports and called for effective checks and balances on local vegetable oil and ghee producers to support fair competition and prevent monopolistic practices.