ISLAMABAD: The country is likely to miss the agriculture growth target of 3.5 percent set for 2021-22, after missing the target of major crops including cotton and wheat production.
A senior official of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) told Business Recorder that cotton production stood at 8.3 million bales in 2021-22, which is 2.2 million bales less than the actual target of 10.05 million bales. However, the production has increased by 1.3 million bales compared to last year. The cotton production target was revised downward, after missing the sowing target by 13.4 percent due to which the country may not achieve the agriculture growth target set for the current fiscal year.
Cotton crop stands vital in agriculture as well as value-added textile sector and contributes around 0.6 percent to GDP and 3.1 percent of the value-added in agriculture, the official added.
The country has missed the wheat production target as the estimated production of the commodity is 26.8 million tons against the set target of 28.9 million from an area of 9.2 million hectares of land due to low fertilizer off-take and unfavourable weather conditions.
According to provincial governments’ reports, shared during the last Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting, wheat production for 2021-22 is estimated 26.8 million tons from an area of 8.99 million hectares, showing a decrease of production is 2.5 percent over the last year, an official source said.
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Onion production for 2021-22 is estimated 2.2 million tons from an area of 0.145 million hectares, showing a decrease of production is 3.6 percent over the last year.
The sugarcane production for 2021-22 is 88.758 million tons from an area of 1.27 million hectares, showing an increase of production is 9.6 percent over the last year. Further, the estimated gram production for 2021-22 is 354,700 tons from an area of 866,600 hectares, which was 51.6 percent higher than the previous year’s output.
Further, potato production was estimated at 7.74 million tons from an area of 0.3 million hectares, which is around 34.8 percent higher than the previous year’s production. The rice production for 2021-22 is 9.3 million tons from an area of 3.5 million hectares; an increase of production is 10.7 percent over the last year.
The maize production for 2021-22 is 9.7 million tons from an area of 1.5 million hectares; an increase of production is 8.6 percent over the last year. The Moong bean production for 2021-22 is 263.73 thousand tons from an area of 301.75 thousand hectares; an increase of production is 28.9 percent over the last year.
The meteorological department informed that keeping in view the climate projections will remain normal to slightly above normal rainfalls, all over the country during May-September 2022. The gradual rise in temperature will accelerate snowmelt in the Northern areas and subsequent increase in runoff of in upper Indus region. Low rains may cause water stress for the standing crops, especially in the rain-fed belt. There are chances of isolated lightning/thunder along with gusty winds/hails/showers over the plains and sub-mountainous areas. Fewer rains and seasonal rise in air temperatures may intensify the ongoing drought conditions over south-western Balochistan and Tharparkar region of Sindh. Accordingly, judicious use of available water stock is recommended.
According to ratings firm S&P Global’s new study covering 135 countries released of April 27, 2022 as a result of the climate change global economic out by 2050 could lost around four percent and hit many poorer parts of the world disproportionately hard.
Ratings firm S&P Global, which gives countries credit scores based on the health of their economies, looking at the likely impact of rising sea levels and more regular heat waves, droughts, and storms.
According to the study within the period Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka’s exposure to wildfires, floods, major storms, and also water shortages mean South Asia has 10 percent to 18 percent of GDP at risk, roughly three times that of North America and ten times more than the least-affected region, Europe.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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