Food production and consumption pattern in Pakistan during 1979 to 2010

Abstract

The paper is about change in food production and consumption pattern in Pakistan. Food availability per capita per annum in Pakistan increased from 298.1 kg in 1979 to 1980 to 414.8 kg in 2007 to 2008 at a rate slower than Population growth (from 85.09 million to 163.8 million over the same period) (Government of Pakistan, 2010). Food consumption pattern in Pakistan are exception and changing by weight nearly three quarters of the diet is made up of cereals and milk product. In addition over half of the expenditure for major food items is on cereals, and milk products (Walters and Mehmood, 1990). The food production (Cereals, Gram, Pulses, Vegetables, Potatoes, and Fruits, Animal product Poultry Product, Sugar and Veg.Ghee) was increased by 52% in 1990 to 2000 over the 1979 to 1990 and by 34.9% in 2000 to 2010 over the 1990s. The annual rate of growth in overall food production rose to 3.9, 4.2 and 2.8% in the 1980s, 1990s and last recent decade against 3.1, 2.4 and 1.9% growth of population in same time period. Food grain production was increased by 32.8 to 29.5% during last thirty years. Key words: Food production, food consumption, food consumption statistics, food grains, population growth, Cobb Douglas type production function.