Pakistan's agri sector grows 2.7pc.

The agriculture sector - the backbone of national economy and a major source of employment - recorded a significant growth of 2.67 percent in the outgoing fiscal year 2019-20 compared to a poor 0.58 percent growth in FY19.

The agriculture sector has provided some relief for Pakistan's economy, which has registered a negative growth for the first time in 68 years. Rice production increased 2.9 percent to 7.410 million tons and maize crop rose 6 percent to 7.236 million tons. Cotton harvest fell 6.9 percent to 9.178 million bales and sugarcane production dropped 0.4 percent to 66.88 million tons.

Meanwhile, the production of wheat - being the most important crop - recorded a growth of 2.5 percent to 24.946 million tons.

However, experts term the agri-growth overestimated, saying the government may revise it later. 'Agriculture growth looks overestimated,' said Syed Atif Zafar, Director Research and Chief Economist at Topline Securities.

'This is perhaps for the first time Pakistan is reporting GDP growth in the Economic Survey based on full-year estimates compared to the previous practice of estimates based on nine-month data as the impact of Covid-19 is too significant to be ignored,' he said.

Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP) - the size of national economy - is expected to contract for the first time since 1952.

The agriculture sector, which contributes 19.3 percent to the GDP, recorded a year-on-year growth of 2.67 percent in FY20, lower than the target of 3.5 percent, but higher than...