The current monsoon rains would have a positive impact over high delta Kharif crops including sugarcane and rice but excessive rains would have negative impact over low delta crops especially cotton. According to a senior official of the Ministry of Food National Security and Research (MNS&R), production of major Kharif crops including rice and sugarcane may increase as these crops require more water as compared to other crops.
He further said standing water was harmful for cotton crop therefore excessive rains would have negative impact on the crop. "The relevant departments need to provide pumping system to growers for removing standing water from their fields," he added.
Khalid Abdullah, Cotton Commissioner in the Ministry of Textiles, confirmed that ongoing rains would have a negative impact on the cotton crop if sustained for a long period as above normal rainfall would cause various diseases in cotton crop. He said large standing water for more than 24 hours was not beneficial for the cotton crop. According to weather advisory, issued for farmers by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD's) National Agromet Centre (NAC), during last week light to moderate rainfall occurred in most of the agricultural plains in upper half of the country.
This may continue on almost the same pattern over northern parts of the country in coming days as well; however, hot and humid weather is expected in the rest of the country.
Keeping in view the expected weather conditions farmers are advised that pest/viral attacks and more weeds growth are expected after heavy rains in standing crops in upper parts of the country. Farmers are, therefore, advised to take in time precautionary measures in this regard. Farmers of irrigated areas may irrigate the standing crops as per requirement in accordance with the expected weather conditions.
According to the weather forecast issued by PMD for the next 48 hours, rain-thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls are expected at a number of places in upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad divisions), FATA, Islamabad and Kashmir, while at scattered places in southern Punjab (D G Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal divisions), Zhob, Kalat divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. Light rain/drizzle is also expected at a few places along Sindh coast.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) has fixed rice production's target at 6.82 million tons on an area of 2.78 million hectares, while in the past year Pakistan produced 6.78 million tons of rice from an areas of 2.68 million hectares.
The FCA has set sugarcane production's target at 68.2 million tons from an area of 1.2 million hectares; the country last year produced 71.7 million tons of sugarcane from an area of 1.27 million hectares. Target set for maize is 5.6 million tons from an area of 1.2 million hectors, while during the past season the country produced 5.3 million tons from an area of 1.3 million hectares.
The government has set cotton production target at 14.04 million bales for the year 2017-18, while in outgoing season the output was 10.6 million bales and in 2015-16 stood at an all time low of 9.7 million bales.
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