Impact of Smog on Wheat Productivity and Determinants of Smog Adaptation Options: A Case Study of Layyah and Lodhran

Abstract

Smog is very harmful to agricultural productivity as it directly affects the growth and yield of crops. This study investigates the impact of smog on the wheat crop. For the present analysis, the study chose two agricultural districts (Layyah and Lodhran) of Pakistan. A survey was conducted from July to September 2019, by 400 farmers. Fully structured questionnaire is used for data collection while logit regression is used for empirical estimation. The results reveal that smog has a negative effect on wheat productivity as the size and weight of wheat grains decrease due to smog. The results also depict that the farmers’ perception regarding adaptations options improves productivity. The results show that education, extension services, irrigation source, and credit services significantly impact adaptation options. The study suggests that government should take serious steps to get rid of smog as it adversely affects theproductivity of crops. For this purpose, strict enforcement of National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) for the reduction of emission of smoke and other pollutants in the air by industry and other sectors can be useful. Additionally, government policy should target improving farmers’ education (training and refresher courses), extension services, and credit facilities to increase farmers’ adaptations.