Abstract
Agriculture is mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. In this study we construct a new measure of crop productivity index and test its validity for climate variables in agricultural ecological zones (AEZs) of Punjab province. Our study followed the FAO’s definition of AEZs in this regard. Crop productivity index is developed with the application of principal component analysis, including major crops like Maize, Sugarcane, Rice, Jowar, Cotton and Wheat. The data on crops from the year 1981-2018, are used. To develop productivity indices on AEZs with same ecological conditions is one of novel features of the present study. Study reveals diverse empirical results. The zones 2, 4 and 6 are ranked as highest productive areas. These zones include D.G. Khan, Rahimyar Khan, Multan and Muzaffargarh areas. The empirical findings confirm the validity and stability of this new construct. Among the climate factors, average maximum temperature plays a significant role for productivity.