ISLAMABAD (Commerce Reporter)
Pakistan has recorded an increase in both the cultivated area and total production of chili crops during the current season, according to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan on Sunday.
The total area under chili cultivation rose by 1.1%, reaching 49,500 hectares compared to 49,000 hectares last year. Similarly, overall production increased by 0.5% to 114,400 tons, up from 113,800 tons a year earlier. However, the national average yield per hectare slightly declined by 0.6%, from 2,325 kilograms to 2,312 kilograms.
The documents show that Sindh remained the largest producer, contributing 85,300 tons from 35,700 hectares — nearly unchanged from 35,600 hectares last year. Punjab produced 17,800 tons from 6,900 hectares, marking a 1.1% decline from last year’s 18,000 tons, despite a 1.5% increase in the cultivated area.
In Balochistan, chili production increased by 2.9% to 10,500 tons, with the cultivated area expanding by 3.2% to 6,500 hectares from 6,300 hectares. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded a remarkable 56% increase in both cultivation and production, though its overall contribution remained small at just 800 tons.
Productivity trends varied across provinces. Punjab’s yield per hectare fell by 2.5% to 2,579.7 kilograms from 2,647.1 kilograms last year, while yields in Balochistan and KP remained stable. Sindh maintained its traditionally high productivity at 2,389.4 kilograms per hectare.
Punjab achieved nearly 90% of its production target and 87.3% of its cultivation target. KP, however, lagged behind, meeting only 78% of its area and 79% of its production targets. In contrast, Balochistan exceeded its area target by 8.3% and production target by 11.1%, with a 2.6% improvement in yield per hectare.
Sindh — which contributes over 70% of Pakistan’s total chili output — fell short of its production target by 26.4%. Nonetheless, its per-hectare yield remained steady during 2024–25 and 2025–26, reflecting stable agricultural performance in the province.