Wheat sowing during the current season has been completed over an area of 8.22 million hectares registering an increase of 3.8 percent as compared to the corresponding period of the last year. However, the area sown is 99.2 percent of the target of 8.29 million hectares set by the Federal Agriculture Committee (FAC), official sources told APP here on Saturday.
Wheat sowing suffered at the initial stage due to lack of rains and shortage of irrigation water. However, the situation improved owing to the countrywide rainfall in the last week of December 2004.
Though the long dry spell affected the wheat sowing but better management and application of new techniques helped a lot the growers to attain the targets, the sources added.
The persistent dry spell had affected the agriculture sector during last year and particularly the rain-fed areas were the major victim of it. Barani areas always depend on nature and rainfall.
According to the Punjab Agriculture Department wheat is so far sown over an area of 6.3 million hectares, which is 1.4 percent higher than the corresponding period of the last year. However, the area sown is 101.7 percent of the target.
In Sindh wheat sowing has been completed over an area of 0.88 million hectares, which is 32.2 percent higher than the corresponding period of the last year and the sown area is 95.7 percent of the target.
Wheat sowing in the NEWF. has carried out over an area of 0.77 million hectares showing an increase of 2. 3 percent over the last year.
In Balochistan wheat sowing has been completed over an area of 0.224 million hectares showing an increase of 6.7 percent over the last year.
According to official sources, wheat crop is expected to achieve set production target of 20.2 million tons.