Sowing on 24 percent area of the total target of 16.88 million acres fixed for the Punjab province this year has been completed. Around 4.2 million acres have already been brought under cultivation with more activity in Barani areas as compared to last year, said Director General (Extension and AR) Punjab Agriculture Department, Dr Muhammad Anjum Ali while talking to Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
He said that sowing started this year from Barani areas, since required moisture was available due to good summer rains this year. He also said that the production target fixed for the province this year was 19.205 million tons. Talking about the process of free seed and fertiliser distribution amongst the farmers of the flood affected areas, Dr Anjum said that first phase of this programme had almost been completed. He said 0.25 million bags of 50kg wheat seed and 0.42 million bags of urea fertiliser have been distributed among 202,370 farmers up to November 10.
He said that second phase of this programme would hopefully be started by November 20 (after Eid holidays) and would be completed by November 30, so as to enable the farmers of calamity-hit areas to sow this important crop and help the province meeting the sowing and production target.
Meanwhile, according to a spokesman of the Punjab agriculture department, 13 varieties of wheat for sowing have been recommended by agricultural experts in irrigated areas of Punjab, amongst which Sahar 2006, Shafaq 2006, Farid 2006, Meraj 2008, Ufaq 2002, etc, stand as high yielding varieties.
According to the experts, optimum sowing time for wheat crop is first two weeks of November. Farmers have been further advised to use clean, graded and vigorous seed having germination of above 85 percent at 50kg per acre for sowing with drill. In case of low germination, seed rate has to be increased accordingly. Balanced use of fertilisers increases production by 5 to 10 maunds per acre.
The spokesman has further that campaign against adulteration and hoarding of DAP fertiliser will be kept at full throttle to ensure the availability of quality products at notified prices in Rabi season, especially for wheat. The dealers have also been directed to notify price of fertiliser products to evade price hike by action against the profiteers.
Meanwhile, Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Secretary Information Haji Muhammad Ramzan while talking to this scribe feared that high prices of the fertilisers and shortage of DAP were creating hardships for the growers. He said that the prices of fertilisers have registered a sudden jump while DAP was also not available as per requirement.
He said another big factor, which might hit the wheat sowing and consequently the province could fall 25 percent short of its sowing target, was delay in the start of crushing season by the sugar mills. "One fourth of the target area was made available for wheat sowing after harvesting of the sugarcane crop. However, harvesting sugarcane has been delayed due to delay in the crushing season, and hence this land would not be available for wheat sowing. According to the agricultural experts, a delay of one day cause one maund per acre less production of wheat," Haji Ramzan concluded.
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