Due to under achievement in area by three percent, the country has missed 5.72 million tonnes rice production target for 2007-08, Business Recorder learnt on Thursday.
According to the provisional estimates provided by the provincial agriculture departments around 2.511 million hectares area was brought under rice cultivation during Kharif of 2007-08 as against the targeted 2.594 million hectares, showing a decline of 83,000 ha or 3.199 percent.
Anticipating the better prices of sugarcane in the market, the growers shifted their sowing area from rice to sugarcane, which caused under achievement in area and ultimately in overall rice production targets, sources said.
The rice production target for 2007-08 crop was set by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) at 5.72 million tonnes with a 5.14 percent increase against the 5.44 million tonnes of 2006-07. But, the country''s paddy output could only hit the 5.489 million tonnes mark showing a decrease of 0.231 million tonnes or 4 percent, they said.
In terms of yield, disadvantageous factors like less germination of seed, excessive rains, leaf folder attack and non-availability of fungicides also rendered a shortage of 19-k g 0.86 percent in per hectare yield.
Minfal had also set a target to produce 2.666 million tonnes of Basmati rice in Punjab from 1.489 million hectares area but under achievement in area did not allow the province to grow more than 2.268 million tonnes. Sources said though the production had faced a 4 percent shortfall, but at the same time it had pushed up by one-percent as compared to the last year''s (2006-07) paddy production.