'Rains beneficial for major Rabi crops, may affect wheat crop'

The ongoing rainy spell is beneficial for overall agriculture production of major Rabi crops, but rain coupled with hailstorm may adversely affect wheat crop, experts said. The recent rains would have a very positive impact on standing crops, including wheat, gram and fruit orchards, but it may affect wheat production in case of severe hailstorm, Dr Shakeel Crop Commissioner Ministry of National Food Security and Research revealed.
He said harvesting of wheat had started in Sindh, but there was no rain while wheat crop in Punjab and other parts of the country would be ready within one month, therefore ongoing rain would have a positive impact over the crop. The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) had fixed wheat production target at 26.3 million tons for Rabi season 2014-15, with Punjab to produce 19.6m tons, Sindh 4.4m tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 1.4m and Balochistan 0.9m tons.
Chief Meteorologist Dr Ghulam Rasool also said that wheat crop was ripening and rain coupled with hailstorm would have negative impact over the corp. The sudden rise in air temperature in March would negatively affect crop, as increase in temperature during the month to reduce grain yield, he said.
According to Pakistan Metrological department, rain-thundershower is expected at scattered places in Islamabad, Punjab (Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur divisions), Kashmir, while at isolated places in Sargodha, Multan, D G Khan, Sukkur, Larkana, Zhob, Sibbi divisions, upper KP (Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan divisions), Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA, Sargodha, Multan, and DG Khan on Saturday and Sunday.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan metrological department on Friday, a westerly wave affecting Balochistan and adjoining areas is likely to grip eastern parts of the country on Friday/Saturday. It said mainly dry weather was expected in most parts of the Punjab province and Islamabad; however, rain-thunderstorm was expected at isolated places in Bahawalpur, Multan, D G Khan, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Lahore divisions during next 24 hours.