Mohammad Aslam*
ABSTRACT
Wheat autarky has been an elusive goal for Pakistan since independence. The shortage in domestic production is met through imports for which valuable foreign exchange has to be earmarked. On the other hand, Pakistan has been a sizeable net exporter of rice. An effort has been made in the present paper to probe the possibility of attaining food autarky through a partial substitution of wheat with rice in the consumption plan of consumers. The study reveals that rice is a substitute food commodity for wheat and may be promoted as such. Since level of significance is small, it may need sustained promotional efforts and appropriate policy measures on the part of the state. Moreover, wheat being a staple diet of people for centuries, switching over to rice may happen only over a long period of time.
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