The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has set the target of over 56,400 hectares area production of 104,500 tons chillies in order to fulfil domestic requirements. Official sources told APP here on Friday that two crops of red chillies are grown in the country during a year. One is in Rabi season and the other in Kharif season.
Chillies crops are mainly produced in Sindh, particularly Tharparker due to suitable climate for the crop, they said. In 2006-07, total area under chilli cultivation was 54,6000 hectares and production achieved was 122,900 tons, they added.
They said that the proposed target for 2008-09 may be fixed 4 percent higher, according to the average achievements of last three years. While presenting details of the overall proposed area and production, they said that 5,400 hectares land with 8,700 tons production was proposed for the Punjab.
In Sindh 90,700 tons green chillies will be produced from 47,300 hectares land, and in NWFP and Balochistan 600, and 3,000 hectares land will be put under green chillies cultivation to get 700 tons and 4,400 tons production respectively.