Ministry of Food and Agriculture has increased the wheat procurement target for Punjab and provincial government will procure four million tonnes of wheat during current season, as previously the target for procurement was set at 3.5 million tonnes of wheat, but the Punjab government now has increased it to 4 million tonnes, for which, 360 procurement centres have been set up all over the province.
According to official sources, harvesting of wheat in upper Punjab and NWFP would begin by May 1. Official sources stated that there would be no huge loss of wheat crops due to recent rains, but the harvesting could be delayed by one week. Ministry's report revealed that the countrywide target of 25 million tonnes of wheat production would be achieved due to favourable rains, despite having shortage of irrigation water.
According to an official review, improvement in the crops sub-sector appears to be helped by the significant gains to farmers in the previous cropping season amid high commodity prices, as well as supportive government policies. The price signals were so clear in FY09 that farmers worked hard to offset the impact of water shortages and non-availability of urea at controlled prices.
These efforts were also supported by favourable weather conditions. This was particularly true for the Rabi crops, which were helped by timely winter rains. The limited available data suggests that growth in minor crops and livestock sub-sectors are also likely to improve during FY09.
In recent years, aggregate irrigated water availability continued to decline, mainly due to shortfalls in Rabi season. Fortunately, above normal water availability during Kharif FY09 supported rice and cotton crops and extended winter rains compensated the impact of 33.8 per cent shortfall of irrigated water during Rabi FY09.
Official sources mentioned that the water shortages for Rabi FY09 season were initially estimated at up to 39.0 per cent, however, successive rain bearing systems in the major crop growing plains in Punjab, Sindh and NWFP during December-January FY09 helped improve water availability during the season.
The overall reservoir level at the start of the rabi FY09 season decreased at 7.1 MAF against 9.7 MAF in the corresponding FY08 season. The rain bearing systems have been instrumental in recent increment in reservoirs' water levels as well as share of un-irrigated (barani) cultivation in the key wheat crop sowing period.
According to official sources, there was a remarkable improvement in the crop's sub-sector despite having less water availability and urea shortages. Meanwhile, the wheat production target was set at 25 million tonnes for FY09, on the expectation that farmers would respond to a 52 per cent increase in support price.
An immediate impact of this was seen, as despite irrigation water shortages, wheat plantation target for the year was surpassed by 5.1 percent. This change was also helped by a switch from sugarcane crop to wheat, as price disputes between growers and sugar mills intensified last year, early picking of cotton this year and lastly the westerly rain bearing systems encouraged farmers to sow more wheat in the major wheat producing districts of the country.
This year the wheat has been cultivated on extra land like by 7.3 percent in the Punjab, 3.7 percent in Sindh, 0.7 percent in NWFP, and 0.2 percent in Balochistan during FY09, as compared to last corresponding year. According to the crop reporting estimates, the sowing was 8.0 per cent more in rain fed and 7 per cent higher in irrigated areas of the Punjab.
In addition, extended winter rains are also likely to have a positive impact on the wheat yield. It is important to note that while favourable weather and relatively lower fertiliser prices were supportive for FY09 wheat crop, better availability of urea at controlled prices would have helped further gains in yields.
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