Unfavourable climate, attractive support price for wheat and difficulties in marketing have resulted in less sowing of sunflower in the country and it is feared that even 50 per cent of the sowing target of 1.2 million acres of land cannot be achieved.
Sources in the Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) disclosed Business Recorder here on Tuesday that sowing of sunflower is almost completed in Sindh, it had been sown over an area of 250,000 acres as against a target of 6,50,000 acres of land. Similarly, in Punjab province, it is although being sown, the trend hinted at missing the sowing target in this region too.
The target of sunflower sowing in Punjab was 400,000 acres this year and till now it has only been sown on around 100,000 acres of land, sources added. Likewise, the target area for sunflower crop this year in Balochistan was 1,20,000 acres and only 10 per cent has been achieved till date, the sources added. Sources further said that it would improve slightly as there are 10 to 15 days more conducive to sowing the sunflower crop in that province. While in the NWFP the sowing target is very negligible, as it was estimated to be sown on 30,000 acres.
Discussing the reasons for the shortfall in the sowing of sunflower crop, the sources said that attractive wheat crop price was the main factor as with the passage of time it was found that not enough land was available for sowing of sunflower as wheat was sown well over the target. Dry spell was another reason, as sunflower needs two to three good watering.
When asked, the sources said that the Board had fixed the target after thorough consideration. 'Everything needed was available in abundance, including the good quality seed, fertilisers and other inputs,' they added and said that rest of the factors marred the efforts to achieve the sowing target. Regarding last year's target, they said that it was one million acres of land and it was sown on 9, 25,000 acres.
However, they said that after good crop farmers faced difficulties in disposal of their output. Marketing faults and price were other main reasons keeping the farmers away from this crop this year, they claimed. He said that they had suggested that sunflower price should be double of the wheat support price.
However, this year it was fixed at Rs 1,600 per maund as suggestive price after consultation with all the stakeholders. About the efforts being taken by the Board to make to the sowing target this year, the PODB sources said that they had launched a campaign to convince the growers of early BT cotton and sugarcane (February sowing) to go for intercroping and grow sunflower, simultaneously with these crops too.
Sunflower is a 90-day crop and it would mature before these two crops and would give good return to the growers. 'We hope that we would be able to get 50-60 per cent of our sowing target if we succeed in convincing the growers for inter-croping sowing,' the sources added.
The sources said that the Board had prepared two demonstration plots in each district of the province to attract the growers to go for this trend. Discussing other steps, the sources stated that crop zoning was another measure, which could encourage sunflower or other oilseeds. He said that there were some areas like Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur and some Tehsils of Bahawalpur, which had perfect climate and soil conditions for this crop.
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