Farmers warned of viral, pest attacks on crops

Farmers of rain-fed parts in upcountry have been advised to sow maize following the continuing monsoon rains, besides warned of viral and pest attacks on their corps. The Met Office also advised the farmers to remove weeds, which are expected to grow, from their sugarcane crop in the wake of recent rains. It also suggested the farmers precautionary steps to protect the crops from viral and pest attack.
It said that farmers of Southern Punjab and Sindh should prepare land for cotton cultivation on time with a view to utilise suitable conditions for a better yield. It said that the growers obtaining crop water through tube-wells should advised schedule irrigation according to the expected weather conditions. It also alerted the farmers of upper half of the country and Northwest Balochistan to plan a careful irrigation and spraying chemicals on the crops during or before the expected rains. "Due to the prevailing dry weather and rising day time temperature, cotton and sugarcane farmers should irrigate the crops as per requirement," it said.
The office said that the farmers should control weeds from further growth at the present stages to protect their crops from their negative impact. It said that weeds removing practices should be started soon after the expected rains. "Due to onset of monsoon rains, farmers are advised to take in time precautionary measures to protect their crops, livestock and other property from any expected heavy rain," it said.
Mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the Punjab with light to moderate rainfall in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Lahore division from July 16 to July 20. Weather in many parts of Sindh weather is likely to remain mainly hot and dry. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mainly dry weather is expected with light to moderate rainfall in Hazara, Malakand and Peshawar division from July 16 to July 20. Most parts of Balochistan are expected to remain hot and dry weather. However light to moderate rain is expected in Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob and Quetta from July 18 to July 20.
Rain-thunderstorm is expected in most parts of the Gilgit-Baltistan. In most parts of Kashmir mainly dry weather is expected with rain-thunderstorm in Muzaffarabad, Kotli and Rawalakot till July 20. Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal in most of the agricultural plains of the country till July 20, office said.