Country likely to achieve wheat production target

The country is likely to achieve wheat production target of 25.8 million tons for Rabi crop season 2015-16 as the current countrywide rain spell will have a positive impact on overall agriculture production of major Rabi crops. According to agriculturalists the ongoing rain spell will not only help achieve Rabi crop production targets but will also prove beneficial for upcoming Kharif crop season which sow cotton, paddy, maze and pulses.
Dr Aslam Gill, Crop Commissioner, Ministry of National Food Security and Research told Business Recorder that the rains would have a very positive impact on standing crops, including wheat, gram and orchards, in the country, especially in the rain-fed areas. He said that the government has set a wheat production target for 2015-16 at 25.8 million tons and current rains will prove beneficial for not only wheat but for others Rabi crops too.
Gill said that rains will also improve per acreage yield as well as crop health. "If a minimum temperature prevails till the end of March, production of wheat will be impressive, but sudden rise of air temperature in March would negatively affect wheat crop as it would reduce grain yield," he said. Gill said that after current rains, the standing wheat crops will quickly shoot up and grow well.
He said that the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) had fixed wheat production at 25.8 million tons for Rabi season 2015-16, with Punjab targeted to produce 19.2 million tons, Sindh 4.2 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1.4 million tons and Balochistan 0.9 million tons. The government has fixed gram production target at 0.72 million tons from an area of 0.99 million hectares, he said. According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, the forthcoming cotton season will receive normal rainfall. However, 20-25 percent above normal rainfall with a 0.8 C rise in temperature is expected from March to May. While according to Indus River System Authority (IRSA) around 28-30 MAF water would be available in water reservoirs for the coming crop season and an anticipated 5 percent shortfall in canal irrigation water during the season.
According to National Fertiliser Development Corporation (NFDC) there will be no shortage of urea fertiliser during the season, saying that due to provision of LNG to power plants, the fertiliser industry would be getting extra gas which will help produce additional fertiliser at cheaper rates even available for export. Chief of Agriculture Policy Institute (API) Abdul Rauf Chaudhry confirmed that the recent rains will increase production of Rabi crops. "Rains will help improve output of wheat as the crop is passing through a growth stage," he said.
He said that wheat, a major cash crop of the season which fulfils the domestic food requirements had been cultivated over 8.871 million hectares as against the set targets of 8.9 million hectares. Punjab has achieved 99 percent sowing targets set for the current season as wheat has been cultivated over 6.6 million hectare. Sindh province has achieved 100 percent of grain sowing as it has cultivated the crop over 1.1 million hectares as compared to the set targets for the season. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wheat crop sowing has surpassed the targets and achieved over 101 percent of sowing targets by sowing the crop over 0.756 hectares and Balochistan province has achieved 83 percent of the crop sowing.
He said that crop sowing is expected to further increase in the province as details are yet to be received from the field formations. Meanwhile, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that an active weather system, presently causing rains in Balochistan, is heading towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and is likely to intensify within coming 24 hours in KP as a result National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a flood warning in the north-western parts of the country.
PMD has forecasted heavy to very heavy, downpours in upper parts of KP, including Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat divisions on Friday/Saturday which may trigger flash floods in the vulnerable areas of the province. All concerned should take necessary measures to avoid loss of life and damage to property/infrastructure, PMD said. Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) KP is directed to take all kind of preventive measures.