<P> Pakistan is a net food exporter, except in occasional years when its harvest is adversely affected by droughts . Pakistan exports rice, cotton, fish, fruits (especially Oranges and Mangoes), and vegetables and imports vegetable oil, wheat, pulses and consumer foods . The country is Asia's largest camel market, second - largest apricot and ghee market and third - largest cotton, onion and milk market . </P> <P> The economic importance of agriculture has declined since independence, when its share of GDP was around 53% . Following the poor harvest of 1993, the government introduced agriculture assistance policies, including increased support prices for many agricultural commodities and expanded availability of agricultural credit . From 1993 to 1997, real growth in the agricultural sector averaged 5.7% but has since declined to about 4% . Agricultural reforms, including increased wheat and oilseed production, play a central role in the government's economic reform package . </P> <P> Outdated irrigation practices have led to inefficient water usage in Pakistan . 25 percent of the water withdrawn for use in the agricultural sector is lost through leakages and line losses in the canals . Only a limited amount of the remaining water is actually absorbed and used by the crops due to poor soil texture and unlevelled fields . </P> <P> Much of the Pakistan's agriculture output is utilized by the country's growing processed - food industry . The value of processed retail food sales has grown 12 percent annually during the Nineties and was estimated at over $1 billion in 2000, although supermarkets accounted for just over 10% of the outlets . </P>

Pakistan is an agricultural country.what are the requirements for successful agriculture