ISLAMABAD: The ongoing spell of rains, which is expected to continue till February 4, will not only have a significant positive impact on Rabi crops but will also have a positive impact on the environment and human health.
Agriculturalists and government officials were unanimous when they were contacted by Business Recorder to know about the impact of current rainfall on the overall agriculture output particularly in connection with Rabi crops.
Commenting on the ongoing rainfall, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali said the rains will also have a positive impact on fruit orchards and vegetable farms, adding particularly it is instrumental for wheat sowing in both rain-fed and arid regions to achieve higher yields during the season.
He said not only the arid areas desperately needed the current rains but the plains of the country also as it rid the country of not only prolong dry weather conditions but also bring an end to the foggy conditions. “It will help moisture the lands in arid areas where wheat, vegetables, and fodder-like seasonal crops are cultivated and consequently help get Rabi crops set targets.”
Dr Ali said the availability of sufficient content of moisture will bolster the seed germination to produce healthy plants, ultimately leading to an increase in local wheat output for the season, adding it would also help to reduce environmental pollution and have a positive impact on human health as well. “These rains will be beneficial for wheat, which is the most important crop of the season and a primary source for meeting domestic staple food requirements.”
He said that rains will also have a positive impact on sugarcane crops, adding that a similar amount of rain at the end of February will also greatly benefit the overall agriculture output.
Moreover, the rains will also help end dry conditions prevailing in Southern Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan where livestock are a major part of the agriculture sector as rains will help grow grass in the plains-critical for livestock’s survival.
They are expected to have a positive effect on wheat cultivation in rain-fed areas across the country, as well as on oil seeds like mustard and canola. The rains are anticipated to have a positive impact on wheat output in the Potohar region and other rain-fed areas across the country, he said, adding that a considerable number of small-scale farmers engage in cultivating various minor crops and seasonal vegetables in these regions.
He further informed that timely rains will play a crucial role in augmenting their farm income by boosting output, adding that farmers must use the seeds of approved verities in order to get maximum per-acre out put to enhance their farm income.
Dr Ali further said the government had introduced special incentives for farmers to grow oil seeds in order to reduce reliance on imported edible oil, which was consuming huge amount of foreign exchange annually, adding that these rains would impact positively all oil seeds like canola and mustard sown over a large area across the country.
The government for the ongoing Rabi crop season has set a wheat production target at 32.2 million tons from an area of 8.9 million hectares of land.
According to a senior government official, the cotton production target for 2023-24 has been estimated at 11.5 million bales from an area of 2.4 million hectares, showing an increase of 126.6 percent in production over the last year. The government has fixed grams production target at 4.1 million tons, potato at 6.0330 million tons, onion at 2.494 million tons, and tomato at 0.67million tons.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024