Timely rains in the past twenty four hours have brightened prospects of bumper Rabi crops in the water deficit barani areas of the country, agriculture experts told Business Recorder here on Friday.
Commissioner crops, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Dr Masood Amjad Rana said that there was more than 20 percent shortage of water for the current year's Rabi crops; wheat, gram, lentil, barley, mustard and fodder which would have badly affected the agriculture economy of the country.
Dr Rana said the rains have greatly benefited wheat crop over 20 million acres in Peshawar, Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore divisions and other arid zones.
He said the much-needed rainwater would increase the yield by 4 mounds per acre, or in other words, has contributed Rs 6 billion to the national economy in the past twenty four hours.
Dr Rana said that sufficient availability of fodder for the livestock would increase the supply of dairy products in the country, which would be beneficial both for the producer and the consumer. Earlier agriculture economists were projecting a gloomy picture of the rural economy in view of about 20 percent shortage of irrigation water as compared to last year's Rabi crop.
The total inflows at the rim station of the four major rivers, Indus (23,200 cusecs), Jhelum (7,815 cusecs), Kabul (9,500 cusecs) and Chenab (6949 cusecs) on Friday decreased to 47.464 cusec whereas total rim station outflows were 98,449 cusec.
After a spell of three months dry weather, the first winter rains have changed the weather and considerably brought down the maximum and minimum temperature and cold winds were blowing in the central Punjab and upper regions of the country. Lowest minimum temperature recorded: Skardu minus 6 C, Quetta minus 4 C and Gilgit minus 1 C. The rains have also brought down atmospheric pollution of dust, smoke and other industrial toxics to a great relief of the people in the major cities of the Punjab and NWFP.
According to Meteorological department report rain/thunderstorm occurred at scattered places of upper Punjab, NWFP, Northern Balochistan and Kashmir in the past 24 hours.
Chief amounts of snow and rainfall during last 24 hrs were Abbotabad 37 mm, Islamabad 27 mm, Rawalpindi 27 mm, Muzaffarabad 25 mm, Garidupata 19 mm, Murree 19 mm, Risalpur 18 mm, SaiduSharif 18 mm, Attock 16 mm, Gujranwala 15 mm, Peshawar 12 mm, Lahore 10 mm and Banu 10 mm.
Forecast for 24 hours: Rain with snowfall over the hills expected at scattered places of upper Punjab, NWFP, Northern Balochistan and Kashmir. In Balochistan, rain/thunderstorm is likely to occur at few places in Zhob and Quetta and at one or two places in Kalat divisions of Balochistan.