'22.5 million tonnes wheat target achievable'

The government has fixed 22.5 million tonnes wheat target for the current Rabi season, higher by more than 790,000 tonnes than the previous year's production. Secretary, Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ismail Qureshi told to a local TV that the wheat sowing season has already started in Badin and Thatta.
Wheat target would be achieved by 17.8 million tonnes production in Punjab, 2.7 million tonnes in Sindh, 1.25 million tonnes in NWFP and 700,000 tonnes in Balochistan.
This year the wheat would be cultivated on 20,900,000 acres, which is more than 375,000 acres than that of last year. Wheat will be cultivated on over 15,930,000 acres of land in Punjab, more than 2,225,000 acres in Sindh, Around 1,880,000 acres in NWFP and about 750,000 acres of land in Balochistan.
Various measures were being taken for ensuring that Rs 16.2 billion subsidy on fertilisers did not go to middleman and industry and benefit only to farmers, he said.