Pakistan plans to increase oilseed production by 8.2% in 2026/27

The Pakistani government has proposed increasing production of major oilseed crops by 8.2% in the MY 2026/27 to 883.7 thsd tons, compared with 817.1 thsd tons in the previous season. The targets cover sunflower, canola, and rapeseed and mustard, which are reported as separate categories in official statistics. To achieve the planned output, the government aims to expand the total cultivated area by 8.1%, or 51.3 thsd hectares, to 682.1 thsd hectares from 630.9 thsd hectares in 2025/26.

Rapeseed and mustard are expected to continue accounting for the largest share of oilseed production. Their combined output in 2026/27 is targeted to increase by 7.4% to 647.9 thsd tons, compared with 603.4 thsd tons last season. The cultivated area is expected to expand to 526.5 thsd hectares. Punjab remains the main producing province, having harvested 460.5 thsd tons of rapeseed and mustard last season, while its production target for the new season has been set at 506 thsd tons.

Pakistan plans to increase canola production by approximately 10% to 140.8 thsd tons, compared with 128 thsd tons in 2025/26. The cultivated area is targeted to expand by 10.1% to 93.2 thsd hectares. Punjab remains the leading canola-producing province, accounting for approximately 94.7% of national output last season. In 2026/27, the province is expected to produce 133 thsd tons of canola from an area of 85 thsd hectares.

Sunflower has the highest planned growth rate among the three oilseed categories. Production in 2026/27 could increase by 11% to 95.1 thsd tons, compared with 85.7 thsd tons last season. The cultivated area is expected to expand by 11.6% to 62.4 thsd hectares. Punjab and Sindh remain the main sunflower-producing regions, with production targets of 43 thsd tons and 39.6 thsd tons, respectively.

However, Pakistan failed to meet its original production targets for canola and sunflower in the previous season. Canola output reached 128 thsd tons against a target of 217.3 thsd tons, while sunflower production totaled 85.7 thsd tons compared with the planned 127.7 thsd tons. Meanwhile, rapeseed and mustard production exceeded the target by 11.4%. The government’s new targets therefore envisage a gradual expansion of cultivated areas and increased domestic oilseed production, although achieving them will depend on actual crop performance during the 2026/27 season.

Tags: oilseeds, sunseed, rapeseed, Pakistan